Between The Scenes
by MartaJones
Summary: My first ME fic, FShep/Garrus. Starts after ME2 and goes into, through and past ME3.  This is the story of lives intertwined, events that happened when the game cameras were off, so to speak.  This is AU but relies heavily on the game, then takes a different path at the end.  Heroics and friendship, fighting and love in shades of grey
1. Scene 1

"Whoa…consider me seduced, smooth talker…"

Garrus sighed, "It's just…I've had so much go wrong; c-sec…omega… I just want something to go right for a change."

Shepard raised a hand to his face, stroking her hand over the scarred mandible and shivered, biting her lip as she thought again how close she'd come to losing him. Standing on her toes, she pressed her forehead against his and whispered, "It's already gone right, Garrus. You're my best friend…you're more special to me than anyone has ever been. No matter what happens or doesn't happen tonight or tomorrow, this," she gestured between the two of them…. "THIS is perfect…this _is_ right…"

Garrus sighed and watched Shepard shiver again as his warm breath floated over her face, watching her bite her lower lip and he knew; she was right. No matter what happened, even if this night was an unmitigated failure…it was already right because it wouldn't ever take away from their friendship. "It's stylish…but that's mostly from me…" Shepard laughed and Garrus laughed with her.

Hesitantly, Garrus raised a hand to her face, running the back of his finger over her cheek, before reaching up to touch her hair, caught in a haphazard bun. Bumping his forehead with hers, he whispered, "Can you take your…errr…hair down?"

Smirking at him, "Fantasy of yours?", she reached up and released the pins, tossing them to her desk as her hair fell to just above her shoulders. Garrus reached up and caught a strand, running it through his fingers, then running his talons through her hair, gently scratching her scalp. Garrus started as she made a sound; he looked down and saw her eyes closed and realized that little sound was a sound of pleasure. He widened his mandibles and kept his fingers moving through her hair, gently scratching her scalp.

"Like that, do you?"

"mmmmm"

Garrus chuckled, apparently that was a yes. Carefully, he raised his other hand and ran a talon gently over her lips, then gathered his courage, took a deep breath and lowered his head, teasing her lips with his tongue. He felt her gasp and opened his eyes, not even aware he'd closed them. Her eyes were wide and he raised his head, murmuring, "Sorry…was I doing it…" But she reached up and slid her hand behind his neck and pulled his head back to hers, whispering against his lips plates,

"You were doing it just fine…"

Garrus huffed gently, doing his best to keep his vocalizing to a minimum, whispering against her, "Good…glad I practiced…." He ran his tongue over her lips, and she parted her lips, reaching her own tongue out to touch his. He started, he'd read about this, but the feel of her cool, flat tongue was a bit of a shock. Still, he carefully slid his tongue into her mouth, rolling his tongue around with her, touching, feeling her suckle his tongue. His plates were rapidly shifting; he hadn't been aware this _kissing_ would be so…arousing.

Gently, he raised his head and gazed at her face, eyes closed, lips parted and he realized he'd never seen anything so beautiful. He might not have a thing for humans, but he certainly had a thing for Shepard. Shepard slid her hands to his waist, gently stroking through his civvies, he moaned and she hesitated, glancing up, "Was I…"

Garrus shook his head, feeling his plate shift and release his cock, "No…that was wonderful…my waist is…really sensitive…."

Continuing to caress him, she said, "Where else?" So caught up in the delicious feeling of her hands on his waist, then he caught his breath as her fingers slid beneath his tunic to caress his naked waist. Trying to make his mind work with all the blood in his body was not somewhere below his waist, he said, lowering his head to rest his forehead against hers again,

"Fringe…the skin under it… You?"

Shepard nuzzled him, pressing her lips against him, teasing his tongue, then pulling back to whisper, "Breasts…ears…err…"

"breasts? Hmmm….like this?" he raised his hands and cupped her breasts, feeling her moan and arch into him, her breasts filling his hands. He felt a hardness in the center of her breasts and lowered his head to nuzzle them through her shirt. She made that moaning/purring sound again and he had to bite his tongue to prevent himself from responding with a purr of his own. Tugging her clothes, he murmured, "Too many clothes…."

Shepard laughed, leaning back and pulling her shirt off, tossing it to the side. He gazed down at her, the expanse of her skin pale and beautiful. Across her chest was a piece of blue clothe that seemed to cup her breasts the way he wanted his hands too. Gazing at the blue material, he widened his mandibles and said, "Love the color, Shepard…but it's in my way…."

Shepard laughed, reaching behind her to release the clasps, then let the bra fall off her arms, releasing her breasts into his hands. He moaned as she did, and lowered his head, praying he'd read the material correctly. He slid his tongue over the hard parts of her breasts…nipples he remembered they were called. She gasped and arched into him, then tugged at his tunic, "Now you have too many clothes on…"

Garrus chuckled and felt her moan again…so she liked him to vocalize against her, hmmm? That would come in handy. He kept his tongue moving over first one nipple than the other, using one hand to cup her breasts as he used the other hand to undo the closures and drop the tunic off. Shepard slid her hands up his chest, over his plates and down to his waist, making him moan, which made her moan.

Taking a step back, Garrus looked down at her, her face filled with desire and his cock twitched. Spirits he wanted her…her breasts stood proudly, their nipples gleaming with his saliva and pebbled hard. Gently he dropped his hands down to her pants, sliding a hand inside and over her belly, feeling the extra cloth inside her pants. "Shepard…"

"Garrus, don't you think you can switch to Lia? At a time like this, hearing you call me Shepard is really odd…."

Garrus chuckled, then pulled her against his body, letting her feel that he was incredibly aroused; she gasped, rubbing her pelvis against him. "Yeah…I think maybe we're on first name basis now…"

Shepard took his hand and led him to the bed, he watched her bare back as they walked, and once they reached the bed, she turned and he slid his hands back to her pants, undoing the clasp, sliding them off her hips. Under her pants, she wore a tiny piece of cloth that was the same color as the one across her chest.

She smiled at him, reaching out to undo the clasp on his pants and pushed them over his hips. He stepped back and took his pants off, sliding them over his spurs. He stood up and watched her lower her eyes to his groin. He waited, realizing that he was holding his breath. She smiled and reached out, then hesitated, glancing up to him as if for permission. He nodded and she reached out and the moment that her hand closed around his cock, he moaned, his head falling back. "Spirits….yes, Lia…that feels so good…"

She laughed, joyous and when he looked down at her, she looked so pleased with herself, he widened his mandibles. She massaged him, sliding her hands around his cock, stroking him from root to tip. Then she looked up at him and he frowned at the considering look on her face. Then in one move, she sat on the bed, gripped his hips and pulled him a step closer and took his cock in her mouth. Garrus keened, throwing his head back; her mouth was hot and wet and the gentle suction she applied to him nearly undid him. She glanced up at him as he looked down at her and he felt himself harden even more. For obvious reasons, turian's didn't _do_oral sex. But he'd read about it…even heard some of his friends talk about it. He'd never expected to be the recipient…or to enjoy it as much as he did.

She slid her mouth to the tip of his cock, rolling her tongue around the head, then sliding her mouth back down taking him deep in her mouth. His hands fisted in her hair and he moaned, if she kept this up, he was going to… his voice was hoarse as he said, "Spirits, lia…stop…you have to stop…."

She slid him from her mouth and frowned up at him, pouting. He moaned, and caressed her head and said, "Don't look at me like that, Lia…if you keep that up, we're going to really put this medication of Mordin's to the test by _ingesting_ a lot more than a few skin cells!" Lia threw back her head and laughed, reaching back to touch his cock, but Garrus avoided her hand, reaching down and gripping her ass and picking her up. He knelt on the bed and slid her back up the bed, resting her against the pillows. He crawled up her body, and lowered his head to begin to lick her nipples again. Sliding his hands over her body, stroking and caressing her. She moaned and arched into his touch and he slid his hands inside the cloth across her pelvis and slid them down her legs. Sitting up, he slid them down her shapely legs and then slid his hands up her legs to the juncture of her thighs.

She tensed and he glanced up at her, she was biting her hips again and he leaned over to nuzzle her cheek, whispering, "relax, Lia…amica….relax….I just want to touch you…to see you…." He felt her nod and he ran his tongue over her ear, then sat back and stroked her thighs, feeling her relax and her legs spread. His first thought was that she had hair over her genitals. He ran his fingers through the hair and found that unlike the soft, silky hair on her head, the hair between her legs was short, curly and coarse. He separated the hairs and they sprang back; he huffed, leaning over and scented her. She smelled like desire, like need and he moaned, purring.

She heard a strange sound come from him, raisin her head to listen. It was almost like a deep, chuffing purr. She began to comment on it, when he decided to do more than pet her pussy. He reached down and separated the flesh of her pussy, moaning as he saw the glistening wetness. Spirits, she was wet and ready for him and she smelled so damn good. Sliding one finger between the flesh, which were almost like lips, vertical instead of horizontal, but similar in build, he heard her gasp. Sliding his finger out, he brought it to his face and sniffed, moaning then gathering his courage, he slid his finger into his mouth, tasting her. She gasped; and they both waited a few breaths to see if he'd have a reaction. When nothing happened, he smiled and lowered his head, nuzzling her pussy. She gasped and arched toward him, her legs spreading wider.

When his nose slid over one part of her, she actual arched almost violently toward him, gasping and writing. He reached down with his fingers and separated the lower lips of her pussy and exposed her, gazing at the top of her pussy and seeing a little nub there. Glancing up at her face, he saw her head was thrown back, eyes half lidded as she watched him. Her mouth was partially opened and she panted.

Smiling, he reached his tongue out and began touched that little nub and nearly had her wrapped around his face. Smiling in his unique turian way, he moved to kneel between her legs, holding them open, his arm now resting across her belly, holding her still. He used his mandibles to separate the lips of her pussy, and applied his tongue to her sensitive area. She arched, crying out, reaching out to touch his head. He growled and she gasped again, her hands almost of their own accord beginning to massage and rub his fringe as she'd been doing to his cock earlier.

He kept licking at her little nub, feeling her body respond to him, then with another glance up at her pleasure wracked face, he slid one finger against her, replacing his tongue. "What this called, Lia…"

Gasping, she was arching against him, but she managed to gasp, "My clit…it's…god, Garrus, that feels so good…if you keep that up, I'm going to cum…."

Smiling, he murmured, "How often can you cum, Lia?"

She shook her head, arching but not able to get far thanks to the arm across her. "As many as you can make me cum…." Garrus smiled, that was a relief. He wanted to bring her to pleasure…to make her "cum" with his mouth…but he also wanted to be inside her when she found release.

Lowering his head again, he began to lick her clit again, and then ran his finger down and slid it inside her body, feeling her tunnel tighten and loosen around him. Just the imagination of what that was going to feel like around his cock made him even harder. He spread her legs a bit further and lowered his head, sliding his tongue deeply inside her tunnel, then sliding back up to her clit. He slid one finger inside her, moving it in and out as he licked her clit; soft and hard, alternating. Before long, he felt her begin to quiver, gasping and writhing, her hands working his fringe nearly to his undoing. Then her legs tightened around his face and she cried his name, and he felt her cum. He kept licking her, stroking her gently and until she began to calm back down.

He kept stroking her with his finger as he watched her face. She moaned and her hands were still massaging his fringe. He nuzzled his way up her body, until he was kneeling between her legs, his hands on either side of her shoulders, his face close to hers. He finished lowering his head and licked her, and she responded by meeting his tongue with her own. She arched toward him and whispered, "God, Garrus…that was so good…."

Smirking at her, he nuzzled her and said, "I take it you enjoyed that…."

She laughed and pressed kisses to him chin, his mandibles, and down his throat. He moaned, and lowered his head to nuzzle her again, whispering, "I want to be inside you , amica….."

She did something he didn't expect, she arched up, wrapping her legs around his waist and placed her feet flat against his ass, arching up towards him. He gazed down at her, surprised and she chuckled, "Guess I'm more flexible than you thought?"

"Mmmmm", he was still purring, but neither was thinking about it. He moved himself a bit and the head of his cock slid into her pussy as though drawn there. She gasped and moaned, he went still. She was tight and wet. He moaned, "Spirits, Lia…..you're tight…am I hurting you?"

"Gods no, Garrus…I love it….please…..fuck me…."

Garrus growled, and began to stroke himself inside her, until he was hilted there, their pelvis rubbing together. She gasped and arched up to him as he thrust deeply, before pulling almost all the way out and slamming back inside her again. It took a few tried, but the fell into a rhythm, and way too quickly, he felt his body tighten, preparing to cum. She gasped, cumming for the fourth time since he'd thrust inside her the first time. That made her tunnel tighten around him until it was almost painful, then release, before tightening again. That brought him to the edge and her hands squeezing his fringe sent him over the edge.

Garrus was shocked when he felt his seed spurt inside her; that had been unexpected. For turians, there was two different types of sex; mating and breeding. A male only bred with his mate. Garrus wasn't thinking of that, however, as his body reached the release and spurted his seed inside her, he had the uncontrollable need to sink his teeth to her shoulder. Latching on, he felt her scream his name and cum again writing beneath him.

Panting, Garrus rolled to the side, taking her with him and he realized something else; he was stuck. The base of his phallus had swollen and he was now stuck inside her body and had NO idea how to tell her. Before he could say anything, however, she raised her head, face flushed and said, "are you…purring?"

Garrus clenched his mandibles, "I'm sorry…I tried to control the vocalizations…"

"NO! I love it, Garrus….it's….it's just perfect."

"It's not too…awkward?"

She shook her head, "god no…I honestly love it….purr all you want…"

Part of him wanted to tell her it wasn't a "purr", but she seemed so happy, he didn't. Then he frowned, "Lia...amica…there is something else…."

She snuggled close to him, his arms around her, holding her to him. "I love that you're cuddling me, Garrus…this is….this has been the most perfect…." Her voice trailed off and Garrus sighed and said,  
>"Yeah, it has…but amica, I have to tell you…I'm stuck".<p>

Raising her head, she met his eyes, frowning, "huh?"

Garrus sighed, "When a turian male…errr…cums…. Spirits, amica…my phallus swells and keeps me inside you. I should have mentioned the possibility, but…"

Lia gave a little squirm, that very nearly had him rolling them both over and fucking her senseless again, and said, "I like it…it's…hell, Garrus…do you know how many human women would give their left arm to have their man hold them after making love?"

He looked down at her, surprised, "It's not common?"

She snorted, "Hell no…most guys finish and roll over and go to sleep..."

It was Garrus turn to snort now, "Not something you'll ever have to worry about…."

She smiled at him and he clutched his mandibles, realizing what he'd said, "I didn't mean to imply…"

She ran her tongue over his mouth, and his tongue came out to twine with hers. When she broke the kiss, she said, "Garrus…I think we both knew from the beginning this wouldn't be just blowing off steam…" now she looked worried, "or at least…I didn't. I guess I just assumed that we'd…well, that you and I…."

It was Garrus turn to nuzzle her now, "Yeah, amica…I know. At this point, I have no desire to let this be a one-time thing….of course, you know what that means, right?"

Frowning, she said, "Could mean a lot of things…what in particular are you talking about?"

He chuckled, "It means, you and I both have to live through tomorrow…because I just found you, just got you here with me…and I'm not losing you ever again…"

She smiled up at him, pressing a kiss to his chin as she said, "Back at you, big guy…"

She settled down with a sigh, snuggled close to him, held securely in his arms as he was held to her by her legs. Eventually they slept; tomorrow was going to be hell…but at least they were walking into it together.

Just like old times.


	2. Between The Scenes

"What do you MEAN you're going to turn yourself in to the Alliance? Did the Reaper scramble your brains?"

Lia Shepard sighed, watching the frustrated Turian who was not only her lover, but her best friend. She wouldn't have allowed very many to speak to her in that manner, but for many reasons, not just her relationship with him, but because her decision also affected HIM, she simply listened, waiting for his rant to die down before she spoke. Finally, he seemed to run out of words, including curses in Turian, English, Krogen, Quarian and some that she wasn't familiar with. With a sigh, he sank down on the couch in her quarters next to her, facing her and buried his face in his hands. Hesitantly, she reached over to touch his fringe, gently and felt him shiver, but he didn't pull away. So she slid a little closer to him, moving one of her hands to his wrist, as her other continued to gently touch his fringe. Slowly, he looked up at her and his blue eyes were tormented, which made her sigh.

"Garrus…I don't want to do this…."

"So DON'T!"

"…but I have to. I KILLED over 300,000 people…."

"You did the only thing you could do, there was no other option; and you were working under orders"

"…and the Baterians deserve to have justice…"

"That's not justice, Shepard, its revenge. And they just need to thank you for all you've done, the bedamned idiotic political jackass Alliance needs to give you a medal, not put you on trial."

Sighing, Lia moved again, sitting astride Garrus' lap, her knees next to his hips, smiling slightly as he raised his legs a bit to support her. His face was anguished, matching her own emotions. She reached out, stroking his face, her fingers slipping along his mandibles as she leaned in to rest her forehead against his. For a few moments, they sat there, silent, leaning into one another. Then she said, softly,

"You're important to me Garrus…"

"Then don't leave me again!" Catching her breath at the pain in his words, she raised her surprised eyes to his anguished ones and said,

"You can't think I WANT to do this, Garrus…." Bitterness filled his voice now, as she picked her up and set her next to him so he could raise to his feet and begin to pace again,

"Either you DO want to, or you're….bored with me or something Lia…because it doesn't seem that you're having any problems considering this…"

Lia's hands flew to her face, her eyes filled with tears as she stared at the face of her lover, best friend and most trusted companion. That hurt, bad. Seeing her eyes, through his own anguish, Garrus knew that he'd crossed a line he shouldn't have. He dropped to his knees in front of her, wrapping his arms around her waist and burying his face in her lap. His words were muffled as he said,

"Lia…I shouldn't..I don't… Damn it, Lia. You're special to me… I know you care about me, but you seem to be willing to turn your back on this, on us." _Without too many problems_, words unspoken echoed loudly in the room. Lia continued to stare down at him, his face buried in her lap, practically vibrating with his emotions. Tears overflowed her eyes and flowed down her cheeks, tears he wasn't physically able to release. Only with Garrus was she able to cry, to show her weakness; no one else was allowed to see her as anything other than cool, calm, rational _in control_ Commander Shepard She lowered her hands to his fringe again, caressing him, feeling him arching slightly to her fingers. Sighing, she used her fingers to cup Garrus' chin, thumbs caressing his mandibles as she raised his face, tipping his head so that he looked into her face as she said,

"Garrus…this is NOT easy and this is NOT what I want to do….", when he would have said something, she slid her thumbs over to rest over his mouth, "no, hush…let me say this, ok?"

Garrus nodded and she went on,

"What I WANT is to scoop up our crew and take the Normandy somewhere they will never find us…. I want to settle down and be a one Turian type of woman… on some tropical planet somewhere….see what the two of us can do without anybody needing us to save the universe. THAT'S what I want…." A harsh sob tore from her throat and she bit her lower lip, trying to breathe through the pain. Garrus nipped her thumbs gently and said,

"Is this because of what my father said in the letter?" Another pained half sob, Lia said,

"No, Garrus...it's not. Not directly, anyway. He is right, but I had already been thinking about this before he wrote. And I mean what I said; he really does only want the best for you… The fact is, Garrus..._they're_ coming. We slowed them down, gave them a black eye, maybe…but they're coming and we have to prepare for them. And I can't have what I want…._WE_ can't have what we want, until we've defeated them. Can we really sit back on a tropical planet somewhere and ignore that the entire universe is being destroyed around us?" Garrus growled, snapping,

"Maybe not…but I would like to try at least…" Lia smiled a bitter, tired smile and said, "And when they finish with the rest of the universe and come after us? When it's us, one ship and our crew against thousands, or more, of Reapers? Then what?" Garrus wanted to come up with another thought, wanted to tell her they'd destroy them, but he couldn't.

Sighing, he seemed to deflate, letting his face drop again, but this time her hands held him. Those tiny, fragile little hands with way too many digits…hands that pull the trigger for a headshot, gently touch a victim and give them solace. Hands that she could use so well to drive him insane overpower him and ignite his passion so fully that there was simply no room in his heart or soul for anyone else. Sighing, he finally nodded as much as her fragile, powerful hands would allow and said,

"We could just go to Palavan...or hell, Illium or somewhere.", but he knew that wasn't going to work, he just had to put it out there. Sighing, tears still flowing over her cheeks, she said,

"And Earth? How likely are they to believe a war criminal?" Garrus growled into her hands, hating to hear the words _war criminal_ in conjunction with her; damn it, she was a hero, not a criminal. But she kept going, her hands caressing him. She knew that it upset him, but she hadn't gotten where she was in life without pushing when she had the advantage,

"I know, Garrus…but we need everyone to get ready. Human, Turian, Asari, Drell…_EVERYONE_ needs to be on the same page. Otherwise, we're going to die, all of us. " Finally, he sighed and purposely nuzzled her hands, frowning,

"I know, Commander…You're right….I get it…" Wincing at the use of her rank, rather than her name, she still forced herself to joke,

"Can I get you to say that into the microphone, Garrus? NOBODY will ever believe it otherwise." Chuckling weakly, Garrus said,

"Don't press your luck, Lia." Her whole body seemed to relax a little and Garrus quickly ran back over the last conversation bits before understanding why, sighing, he tried to make it better by saying, smirking as he ran his hands up over Lia's hands and upper arms, "so….you think that you're about ready to be a one Turian type of woman, Lia?" His hands gently stroked back down her upper arms and wrists, then made their way back up as he smirked at her as she said,

"Provided the one Turian is an obnoxious, irritating, powerful, loving, man called Garrus Vakarian, then yea…I am. _I'm_ready now…but the Galaxy isn't. But I guarantee you that if you ask me once this trial business is over, you'll love my answer."

Garrus smirked, raising up, removing his face from her hands and standing as he took her wrists in his taloned hands, pulling her up to stand in front of him. Placing her hands on his shoulders, he slid his hands up her arms, over her shoulders and down over her back, slowly stroking her waist made her sigh, stopping on her hips and pulling her firmly against him made her whimper, sliding his hands around her hips to firmly grasp her butt and lifting her, so her legs could go around his waist made her gasp…and him whimper. He rested his forehead against hers and nuzzled her face gently, his rough, cylindrical tongue fluttering against her lips as he whispered,

"So…how long until we get to Earth?" Caught off guard, Lia brought her mind back to what he was saying (versus the feeling from what he was DOING) and she said, stuttering a little,

"I don't know...I haven't actually told Joker to go there yet….I wanted to talk to you before I made the final decision…." He started, eyes opening as he looked down at her eyes, beginning to dilate with need,

"You mean you were wanting me to talk you out of it?" Lia nuzzled his neck, her lips kissing and sucking over his mandibles as she whispered,

"Maybe...I don't know… GARRUS!" Despite the conversation, his body and hands seemed to have minds of their own as he caressed her body. Shaking his head, he put the conversation off for now; they could talk later, right now, they both needed this.

Garrus turned and took the two big strides from the couch to the bed and knelt, setting her on the edge of the bed. Her legs let his waist go, but they stayed on either side of his body, her fingers caressing his fringe, stroking the velvet softness beneath his fringe and the harder, rougher texture of his fringe. The last few weeks had been the best of her life; from the night before the attack on the Collectors base when she and Garrus had finally consummated their relationship, to having defeated the Collectors and come back through the Omega 4 relay with all hands on deck, and then having Garrus with her as they did what they could to get the ship and crew back to normal. And the nights in her quarters where the two of them learned how to _become_ a couple; since both realized that it hadn't been a simple "blowing off steam" for either of them.

Refusing to look at the future right now, she threw herself into the moment, arching toward Garrus as he stroked her thighs. Garrus' rough voice said,

"There you are…thought I'd lost you for a minute, Lia…." Looking down at her Turian lover, best friend….her mate….she smiled,

"Never Garrus…you never get to lose me…", she reached over and tugged at his shirt, "off!" Garrus chuckled, roughly,

"Yes ma'am…" but as he stripped his shirt off, he felt her move against him, knocking him backwards to the floor, and following him down. She knelt next to him, her fingers gently tracing the edges of his plates with her fingers, and then she lowered her body so that she could kiss his chest plates, caressing him with her lips and tongue as Garrus panted harshly and said,

"Thought I was going to be on top this time, Lia…." Smiling against him, she shook her head,

"not yet, Garrus….please?" Her eyes met his and he moaned, she wanted to take control, but she didn't want him to feel as though he'd lost control. Garrus smiled at her,

"It's ok, Lia….come here, amica…" Smiling, she moved between his legs, her palms resting on his upper thighs, stroking and caressing as she looked him up and down. The heat in her eyes combined with the way she stroked and massaged his legs, and the occasional "accidental" rub of her thumbs on his groin had him gasping. He moaned as he reached forward and cupped her breast through her shirt, his thumbs circling her nipples, watching them harden and pebble under his caress.

His voice a rough growl, he said, "Off" and smiled as she sat up straight and stripped off the shirt and bra in one movement. Her bared breasts, firm and supple fell into his open hand and he moaned again, growling with the feeling. She reached over and undid the fasteners of his trousers, pulling them over his hips, smiling as he rose up to help, then carefully over his spurs to his feet. He nearly purred as she ran her hands back up his bared legs, saying,

"Something amusing you, Amica?" She shook her head and slid her hands over his thighs, her thumbs moving to caress his groin, wringing another purr from him. His plates had already shifted, allowing his penis to spring free and it now lay hard and throbbing against her thigh.

Moving, she lowered herself, never taking her eyes off his face, and taking her own breasts in hand, she caught his penis between her breasts and began to move herself, he growled at the feeling of her firm breasts wrapped around his cock, rubbing him, working him harder and harder. He alternated between growling and purring, as she watched his face while she worked his erection. Then she dipped her head and began to lap at the top of his penis as she continued to move him between her breasts; finally, she moved so that he was directly beneath her, his penis between her firm, round breasts and thrusting into her, and she managed to catch the head of his penis with her mouth, working him with her wet, warm, willing tongue.

Garrus groaned, growling more fiercely as he felt himself being brought toward his release. But he didn't want to come like this...or without her. He gasped as she took his head into her mouth, sucking and licking, but then he reached down and pulled his cock from her mouth and breasts, pausing to get control over himself before sitting up, and pressing his lip plates against her mouth, his tongue moving out to caress her lips. She moaned, but so did he, tasting her, sweet and intoxicating, as well as himself, from her ministrations. He lowered his face and nuzzled her throat, nipping and licking his way down her throat to her breasts, where he stopped to rub and caress her. His tongue working each nipple until they were both pebbled and hard, and she was nearly writhing with need. He moved to his knees, sweeping her up and depositing her once more on the bed, kneeling between her thighs, pressing his lip plates against her, nuzzling her thighs and using his tongue to caress her.

Mentally he figured the passage of time; he still had a few days on his last anti-allergy shot…and he had his epi-pen if necessary. Neither of them had shown any form of protein allergy thus far, for which both were grateful. But neither took it for granted either; being together was too important to both of them to be careless. Smiling into her thigh, he began to lick and nuzzle his way up her body, growling a bit as her fingers began to caress his Fringe and beneath it. Huskily she whispered,

"Garrus…please….." and he smiled as he gently pushed her legs a bit further apart and ran his tongue across her femininity. She gasped and arched against him, making him smile and moan as the scent of her desire caught him. She grasped his head, pulling him toward her, arching and writhing, unable to stop. He carefully used his mandibles to slide the outer lips of her vulva apart, his cylindrical, rough tongue reached for her clit, the pointy end of his tongue making contact as she arched nearly off the bed for him, allowing him to slide his hands beneath her ass, controlling her so he could pleasure her. His tongue worked her clit, his mandibles slid around her outer lips, as he nuzzled her between licks. He felt her gasp and arch, and he slipped one finger inside her; she was so wet, so tight that he growled and pushed closer.

Garrus knew Lia was close, the way she writhed and arched, panting lightly as she spasmodically grasped his fringe and rubbed beneath. He stopped what he was doing using his lip plates to nip firmly, but gently, on her nether lips, causing her to gasp and her eyes to widen and flash to his. He redoubled his attention once she was looking at him, rewarding her for keeping her eyes on his, punishing her by stopping and nipping gently when she looked away. She gripped him, moaning as he began sliding his talon in and out of her, his tongue working her clit and his mandibles holding her lips open and massaging her at the same time. It took very little time for her to go rigid and gasp, coming hard and fast, still meeting his eyes as she keened his name. He smiled in his Turian way, keeping his rhythm up until she collapsed backward, gasping as the aftershocks kept going off in her.

Garrus began to kiss, lick, nibble and nuzzle his way from between her thighs to her tummy, laving her belly button with his tongue before moving up to her breasts, using his mandibles and tongue to caress her nipples, but Lia was apparently done with being on the receiving end, and she braced her feet on the bed, wrapping her arms around his chest as she drove them backwards with her legs so that he was laying between her legs on the bed. He smiled at her, nuzzling her and she rubbed her cheek against him, and then nipped him, right where his mandible connected to his face. He moaned, purring deeply as she slid her hands down to caress his penis.

Lia grasped his penis firmly, and then guided him into her, as he threw his head back, growling deep and husky. She took advantage of his position to nip his neck with her tiny, blunted human teeth. He growled, gripping her and moving her further back on the bed, burying himself inside her body and keeping his head up, giving her full access to this throat; one of the few places on his body that WASN'T heavily armored. She bit and sucked, working to mark him as he adjusted his thrusts to allow the ridges on groin plates to stimulate her clit. She keened and gasped, her nails digging into his waist, writhing beneath him, arching and keening his name as he brought her once more. He felt everything from her teeth on his throat, to her tunnel spasming around him, tightening on him, then letting up, before tightening again. He kept his body thrusting, kept his ridges stimulating her clit as she finished, her head fell backward. He arched, thrusting his penis deeper inside of her while lowering his head to her, whispering in her ear,

"Amica…yes….so tight, so wet and hot….Spirits, Amica…..you fit me so well….your marks on my throat, your body clutching me…the sounds you make…..Come for me, Amica….come for me again…" And he redoubled his attempts, thrusting shallowly, then longer and harder, but always keeping her lined up so that the ridges on his groin plates stimulated her clit. She gasped, arching toward him, one hand on his fringe, rubbing, stroking; at times almost working his fringe as she would his cock. Keening for him, her mouth working on every part of him she could reach.

"YES! God Garrus…yes! Right there! Please….please….so good….I love you Garrus…..God I love you…please don't stop…..YES! YES! There…."

Half listening to her, he nearly froze, hearing her say she loved him. He'd never heard her say that before, but as he paused, she whimpered and pinched his waist with her free hand, making him growl and begin thrusting harder again.

"Do you like THAT Amica? Right there?" as he thrust slightly to the left, his ridges stimulating her clit. He dropped his face to her breasts again, nuzzling, nibbling, licking her nipples, moaning and growling softly as she took the hand from his waist and catching her breast, raising it to his attention. He laved attention on her breast, his tongue working the nipple to a hard point.

"Tell me what you want Amica…..come for me again….."

She moaned and arched, feeling his lips fall to her neck, gently biting, just hard enough to break the skin and leave a mark, then laving the mark with his tongue. He felt her writhing beneath him, she was beginning to get close again, he could feel her body spasming, arching; he groaned as she dug her fingers into his waist. A Turian waist was one their most sensitive parts and she KNEW that…she never hurt him, or rarely ever, anyway…but she used that sensitivity to bring him closer. His waist, his fringe, his groin plates and spurs…some she wasn't used to yet, but he had no complaints from her learning curve.

Suddenly, he felt her body spasm around him again; she threw back her head and began to keep his name, begging, "YES! Garrus….deeper! DEEPER! HARDER! Please…I won't break….MARK ME!" He gave up any attempt to keep control, he knew she could take it, "squishy" human or not.

He shifted to put them in a better place, then began to drive himself into her, their bodies smacking against each other, touching each other, licking, nuzzling, rubbing; no stopping now. She was writhing beneath him, and he was having trouble keeping her in the right position. Finally, he reared back, grasped her hips firmly and began to thrust; growling, then he reached over and bit her shoulder, holding her in place as he filled her over and over with his cock.

Lia's hands moved around his body, her face nuzzled him, her lips and teeth finding him, and then she threw back her head and keened his name, coming hard as she cried out,

"Garrus! YES!"

Garrus snarled and growled, keeping as much concentration as he could on his bite to keep from doing too much damage as he felt her body spasm and milk his cock, then he let go of her shoulder, threw his head back and roared as he came; spewing his seed deep within her, slamming his cock as deep as it would go, feeling the root swell, locking him into her as he came.

Garrus moved around as much as his body, and their joining, would allow, keeping his ridges stimulating her clit making her come again, one final time as he collapsed, managing to keep most of his weight on his arms and knees, not directly on her. HE whispered

"I love you, Lia...Amica…"

Sliding his hands down to her ass, he locked her against him and flipped them, so she was lying on top of him. He began to purr in contentment, his hands gently stroking her back, her shoulders, her butt. He realized that she was stiff on him, and hesitated, his purr missing a beat. He looked into her face and nearly lost it, she looked at him, her eyes meeting his, and she had tears flowing down her face, she reached up a trembling hand to touch his face, the scarred side of course, though he wasn't sure she really even saw the scars anymore. He used one hand to cup her face, his thumb wiping away her tears, as he said,

"Lia? Did…did I do something wrong? Did I hurt you?" He felt the fear deep in his gizzard, hurting her was unacceptable at any time. He was relieved when she shook her head, then she said,

"Did you mean that, Garrus?" Garrus leaned his forehead against hers, nuzzling her with his nose, using his tongue to caress her, he didn't even pretend not to understand. Instead he said,

"Yes…I mean it; did you?" She frowned,

"Did I say that out loud? He chuckled, though part of him worried,

"Yea…did you wish you hadn't?" She shook her head, kissing his chin, his cheeks, tracing his Clan Markings with her tongue,

"No, I don't regret saying it… I just…I didn't want to pressure you into this…I didn't want to make you feel like you _HAD_ to say anything…." Shaking his head, he ran his hands over her, nuzzling her temple, purring loudly against her as he said,

"Lia…if I didn't WANT to say anything, if I didn't want to FEEL anything, I wouldn't. I love you…that's not going to change…so get used to it…." Lia chuckled, snuggling close to him, their bodies still joined,

"Ha! That's insubordination, Officer Vakarian!"

Weak chuckles from both of them, tired and relaxed, they nuzzled each other as they settled down. As the two fell asleep wrapped in each other's arms, for this moment, content. The future would come, no sense in bringing it any faster than necessary.


	3. Author Note

Ok, I've given this a lot of thought, and finally came to a conclusion.

Mass Effect 3 doesn't exist.

Well, ok, it does, BUT, in my head, it doesn't exist the way that BioWare/EA Games released it. There are just too many things that don't make sense, are out of place, odd, weird, seem over/under done or simply DON'T WORK FOR ME! There are parts of ME3 I LOVE; the dialog is supurb, the way the characters move around (hey, Garrus is finally out of the Gunnary!), some of the basic story, the character development, etc. Those things I love; BUT, some of the things are either WAY out of proportion, happen at the wrong time, or just plain mess with my head and I don't like it. I REFUSE to lose the ones they take from us (trying not to be a SPOILER, but there will be in the stories) and the ending SUCK big fat monkey ducks.

Yes, I know. It's not real. It's a game. Blah blah blah, blah-de-blah blah blah. I've heard all this from my daughter already. She is one of the 3 or 4 people who actually LIKE the canned endings, or at least she's convinced herself that at least ONE is "good" coughsynthesiscough. Anyhoo, I don't like the universe as is, so I'm going to change it. So, from this point, the story is AU.

ME2 happened as I played it, Shep decided AGA (Against Garrus Advice) to turn herself in to the Alliance where she is/will be/was tried for War Crimes. BUT, the Normandy was not given to the Alliance (did you see what they DID to her?); I mean, PLEASE, give up my ship so they can strip her, plant THEIR bugs on her and mess her up? Not to mention, in cannon, the Alliance is too stupid to realize that Edie is lying to them and is not a VI, yet they buy that this "VI" won't talk to anyone by Joker and they can't remove her? What kind of computer experts do they have there? Also, for several weeks Shep was allowed to be on "bail", free to wander the galaxy and raise support for the Reaper cause; with a little "overseeing".


	4. Scene 2

I own nothing, Bioware/EA Games owns it all and I'm just borrowing it for my own illicit reasons. (wagging eyebrows).

EXTREME FLUFF/DIABETES SWEETNESS WARNING

"You ready?" Lia Shepard stood by the door to her quarters, looking at where he lover was standing, fidgeting. He was nervous, and while she found it adorably cute, she knew that it was up to her to put him more at ease. The relationship was new, at least the sexual/relationship part of it was, though there were and had been best friends for years. Lia was on unfamiliar grounds just as much as Garrus, her Turian lover, but years of practice and the "fake it till you make it" attitude had her covering the nerves well. Considering different options, she decided the best course of action was to fall back on their banter, drawling, "Come on Garrus…you look fine! Stop primping and let's go….I don't know about you, but I've worked up quite an appetite!" Garrus started, then grinned at her,

"Ahhh, is that a compliment on my skills, Shepard? I guess we did burn a lot of calories last night…" Garrus chuckled as he stopped fidgeting and took the three stairs from the sunken sleeping portion of her cabin to the top/office portion. Lia grinned,

"I'll say…I feel like I could eat a Varren… _RAW_", she locked her arm through his as he reached her and together they exited her quarters and walked the few steps to the elevator. "What about you? Did all that _BLOWING OFF STEAM_ wear you out?"

"Oh yeaaaahhhh, I don't know about a Varren, but I feel like I could eat a Krogen under the table." Garrus grinned as he turned Lia to face him and lowered his head, pressing his forehead to hers in the Turian style of kiss. Lia sighed, and standing up on tip toes, she pressed her lips to the hard plates that served as his and squeezed his talons as she said,

"Have I told you yet that you make me happy, Garrus?" she gazed into his sharp blue eyes,

Garrus squeezed her hands, careful as always not to hurt her, "Back at ya, amica…glad I could be of service."

Lia laughed, unable to resist as the elevator doors opened, "Oh yeah, Garrus, your service was _very_ well handled…."

Garrus chuckled as they broke apart and entered the elevators, still holding hands, "Weeelllll, Commander…still trying to make me blush?"

"One of these days, Garrus, I'll manage it!"

The elevator doors opened and Garrus immediately tried to drop the Commander's hand, straightening up. He caught her confused look at he dropped her hand, but didn't think much of it as they exited the elevator. He busied himself with the data pad he'd had under his arm as he followed the Commander out of the elevator. Luckily, or unluckily perhaps, the only people in the mess area were the cook Gardner, and four members of their team, Miranda, Jack, Tali and Samara. Hesitating only a moment, Garrus ignored the cat calls from Jack as he headed toward his room, the Forward Battery with a wave of his hand to the group of women at the mess table and the cook. Unaware that Shepard was watching him go with a worried expression on her face, head cocked to the side in a manner he would have recognized as confused if he'd been watching her. Tali, ever empathic, got up and walked over to where Shepard was still watching Garrus' retreating form.

"Shepard? Did you two have a fight?" she asked, concerned as she touched Shepard's arm.

Startled, Shepard looked down at the Quarian, one of her best friends and said, shrugging as she headed over to the mess to fill a tray, "Not that I'm aware of, Tali, I guess he'd just, got a lot on his plate."

Jack, the tattooed bad girl who had really turned around since joining the crew, snorted and said, "Just a guy, get a little nookie and run off to hide. Guys suck at emotional shit". Shepard glanced at Jack, who was obvious to the surprised looks of other team members. Jack wasn't exactly known as a warm fuzzy emotional person. Sighing, Shepard walked over to the mess, picked up a tray and looked at the options available; she found her appetite was considerably lower than it had been. But her body did require some food; she just wasn't really hungry anymore.

"Perhaps our Turian team mate is simply unsure of what is expected of him, Commander." Samara said, her voice as calm and gentle as ever. There were times that the Asari Justicar's calm dignity made Shepard feel very young and as out of control as Jack. Finally picking up two pieces of toast, a small helping of scrambled eggs and a couple strips of bacon, Lia headed over to the table, sitting down and arranging her napkin on her lap before she spoke.

"What do you mean, Samara?" Lia fidgeted with her utensils, not looking up from her food

"You have moved your existing relationship into a new category; new territory, so to speak. Perhaps Officer Vakarian is simply unsure of the expectations for navigating this new terrain", Samara sipped her tea, her face peaceful.

"He didn't seem to have any problems earlier…" Lia spoke softly, blushing and refusing to look at her team mates and friends. Surprisingly, it was Miranda who spoke, the former Cerberus agent and genetically perfect woman hadn't been one that Lia would have considered asking for advice on her love life, but as Miranda spoke, Lia realized that Miranda might have more "hands on" experience than the others.

"It's different in private, Shepard. No matter how sure of themselves men are, they're never quite sure how to behave in public. It's a balance between keeping their masculine pride and their relationship at time. Added to that, you're the Commander and he's your subordinate…" she held up a hand as Lia prepared to interrupt her, looking up from her plate, ready to defend her actions, "No, wait, let me finish. I'm not saying your relationship with Garrus is a bad thing, nor am I suggesting that it's not workable. I'm just saying that Garrus may simply not know what you want from him. Public displays of affection can be difficult to manage on a ship." Lia hesitated, then nodded,

"You're all right; I guess we never talked about how to act around each other in public. I guess I just assumed that we'd just, stay the same. But maybe with a little more PDA; holding hands, that sort of thing. I know that Turian's don't usually have rules against fraternization between people on their ships, but I'm not sure how it works between commanding officers and subservient officers." Lia sighed, idly moving her eggs around her plate.

"You know what they say about assuming, Shepard. It makes an ASS out of U and ME", Jack piped up, chuckling.

Samara simply nodded toward the forward batteries and said, "Perhaps you should go talk to him, Commander. It's possible he's as worried as you are" Sighing again, Lia nodded standing up and preparing to take her tray to the recycling area, but Jack plucked it out of her hands,

"I'll take care of that for you, Shep…you go sooth your ol man." And Jack put the tray in front of her and began to finish the food Lia hadn't had the stomach for. Lia nodded absently and walked to the Battery doors.

"Hey Commander…" Jack's voice was amused as she said, "Just remember to keep your pants on in public, ok? NONE of us wants to see THAT!" surprisingly, Lia heard laughter from all three of the others as she shot them a mock glare, then turned and walked to the battery.

Garrus entered the Battery and let out the breath he had been holding. Tossing the data pad that, he realized with a start was not only turned off, but upside down, on the narrow cot. Moving to his panel, he absently went through the motions of calibrating, all the while his mind was churning. He'd frozen up when those elevator doors opened and he'd seen the four women at the table. It had occurred to him he had no idea what Lia expected of him; was he supposed to keep up their familiar banter, sarcasm and jokes, or did she expect him to hold her hands, kiss her…" Garrus body responded to the mental image of kissing Lia in the middle of the mess. His mind might not know what to do, but apparently his body did. So involved was he in his mental chastisement that he didn't hear the door open until Lia spoke.

"I thought you were hungry, Garrus?"

Garrus started so much his talon jerked on the control panel, setting off alarms. Cursing in Turian, Garrus readjusted the panel, setting things back to normal before he turned to Lia and said,

"Yes…well…I thought I'd better check on the weapons first. I wasn't here last night, so they might need…calibrations…or something", his words began to fade out as he took in her face. She had that expression of utter officer blank on her face, and his gizzard clenched; even before the advancement of their relationship she'd rarely looked at him like that.

"Oh. I guess I shouldn't keep you from your work then, Officer." her voice was empty, but as he started at her, he thought he saw pain in her eyes, quickly covered. But she stood there without moving, even with her words. Finally, she seemed to gather herself and said, "Garrus, you said on a Turian ship, fraternization isn't frowned upon, right?"

"That's right, it's considered to be a normal and healthy event to develop relationships." Garrus answered automatically, though his mind scurried to try and figure out where she was going with this.

"What about the Commanding officer? Do they develop relationships?" Lia's voice was soft.

"It happens, not as often maybe, and most times the Commanding officer chooses another officer; often her XO." Garrus answered, still not sure where she was going with it. Garrus managed to get enough courage to look into her face, surprised to see her eyes were watery and she was pale.

"Are you ash…" a hard swallow, "ashamed of being with me? Did I force you into my bed?" by the last word, Lia's voice has shrunk to nearly a whisper.

"WHAT?" Garrus hadn't meant to shout, but her question was so shocking that he nearly fell over. Glancing at the door, which was closed, but not soundproof, Garrus lowered his voice and continued, "Of course not, I'm not ashamed of anything to do with our relationship. Spirits, I'm so beyond surprised you actually _want_ me that way I can barely believe this is real. Why in the Spirits name would you _**ASK**_ me something like that?" a stray thought that maybe she was asking him because _SHE_ was ashamed.

Lia shrugged, eyes dropping, still speaking very softly, "It's just, you seemed to be; that is you didn't seem to want…", sighing again, Lia forced her eyes to his, trying to ignore the scratching in her throat and the tears threatening to fall, she looked into his wide, shocked eyes and said, "Everything seemed fine in the elevator, but when the door opened, you just dropped my hand like it was poison or something and didn't say anything, just went straight here. You didn't even stop to get food. I thought, well I guess I thought maybe you were ashamed."

Startled, Garrus shook his head and reached down to take her hand, guiding her over to the small cot, sitting down and tugging her down beside him. He turned to face her, keeping her hand in his and said, "Lia, I wasn't sure what _YOU_ wanted. I know that fraternization is frowned up on human military vessels and I didn't want to cause you problem. It never occurred to me that you'd think my trying to protect your reputation was shame in you, or us." Garrus watched her and saw a tear overflow her eyes and roll down her cheek; he reached out a gentle thumb and wiped it away.

"This isn't a human military vessel, Garrus and I don't _WANT_ to hide our relationship. I'm not saying we should rip our clothes off and have sex on the mess tables at chow times…but outside of missions, briefing or work, I don't see why we can't hold hands, or even hug or kiss. I'm proud of you, Garrus and I'm proud to be our…errr…hell, I don't even know what to call us. Boyfriend seems so juvenile, lover sounds so cold…..and "ol man" is just fucking out…"

"How about mate?", Garrus looked surprised the minute the words were out of his mouth. He'd been thinking of it himself, so it was o the top of his mind, but he'd never meant to make a suggestion, it seemed almost pushy. To his surprise, Lia mouthed "mate", and seemed to consider it.

"I like it. Mate." Lia smiled at him, "We're Mates… Is there, some specific significance in Turian culture for using that word?"

Garrus sighed, this was the exact reason he hadn't been going to suggest it, "Yea, or at least it can be. It's used as a shortened form of "Bondmate", which is; well I guess the closest human equivalent is 'husband'. But it's also used by couples who have a relationship that hasn't gotten to Bondmate status yet." He carefully watched her, trying to see if there was any fear, nerves or upset in her eyes over the terms. He could almost see her mind working, musing over that information, smiling a little bit.

"What does being a "Bondmate" entail?" Lia asked, looking at him, genuinely curious, her head cocked to the side eyes on his. He shifted a little uncomfortably,

"Errr…like I said, its closest human equivalent is husband, I think", he looked away from her, suddenly finding their joined hands tremendously interesting. He missed Lia's frown, but she reached her free hand down to place under his chin, lifting his face to meet his eyes.

"What aren't you saying, Garrus? Is it…too personal? If it is, just tell me it's none of my business." He could hear the hurt in her voice, and sighed. It was certainly her business, and he wasn't going to hurt her again. His gizzard clenched again, and his mandibles were tight against his face, showing his nerves. He sighed,

"No, it is certainly your business, it's just…I don't want to scare you off.", Garrus reached out his free hand to caress her hair back from her face.

Lia smiled at him, the hand that had been resting on his chin now slid to caress his tight mandibles, "Garrus, don't you know by now that you're not going to scare me away? I'm in it for the long haul; at least unless you've changed your mind.

"No, I haven't changed my mind, Lia. I love you, that won't change. It's just, well, some Turian's mate for life.", he finished his sentence in a rush, watching her face and trying to read her emotions, then going on , "It doesn't happen with every Turian, some never find their true Bondmate, and some are content with keeping a mate or mates for their life. But when a Turian is lucky enough to find their Bondmate, it…completes them. Not that they aren't complete on their own, it's just, better." he gave up trying to explain it and just waited for her response,

She looked into his eyes, head cocked as she digested the information, "So, _MATE_ would be more like marriage, since humans can divorce their spouses pretty easily; but _BONDMATE_ is a stronger connection?"

Garrus nodded, dreading the question he was sure was coming, but wanting to tell her anyway, but he answered, a little surprised, "Is it really that easy to stop being mates in human culture?"

"Yeah, isn't it in Turian society? Even just mates?" Lia looked a little confused and a lot interested

Garrus shook his head, "It's not easy for mates to divide; there are very specific reasons that are allowed, otherwise the couple just has to make the best of it. I had no idea human's put so little stock in their matings…I've been to a human wedding and it seemed pretty intense."

Lia nodded, "Yea, and not every human takes marriage so lightly. I…well, I think that marriage should be forever and that's why you need to be careful who you choose. But yeah, despite how fancy weddings are, divorce is relatively easy. You can even get divorced claiming "irreconcilable differences", which is "I just don't want to be married anymore"." She shrugged, then went back to the conversation she was most interested in,

"How does a person know that they've found their Bondmates?" she watched his face, as her fingers stroked his talons. Her hand moved from his face to his shoulder, then back.

Garrus shrugged, "You just know, it's like a switch is thrown." he looked and sounded distinctly uncomfortable

"So you've heard?" Lia teased him, then went on, not seeing the look on his face, "I'm guessing finding your Bondmate is reason to divorce…am I going to have to worry about you finding one?"

Biting the bullet, so to speak, Garrus let her hand go, raised both hands to her face, cupping her cheeks he said, "No…and I know exactly how finding your Bondmate feels, Lia, because I've found mine…."

Lia swallowed, not wanting to read too much into it, but her heart leapt up, wanting something she wasn't sure of, "You didn't find and lose her, right?"

He shrugged, still looking in her face, "I did find and lose her….."

Her shoulders fell, and she felt tears fill her eyes, disappointment warring with jealousy as she started to speak, but Garrus' quiet voice continued,

"And then she came back to me. Saved my ass from my own stupidity and a gun ship rocket and let me follow her into hell. Again." Garrus' eyes never wavered from hers and she swallowed hard,

"Oh Garrus", her voice carried a tone he wasn't familiar with and he felt the crushing depth of disappointment. He'd know that telling her this had the chance of his losing her, but he'd had to tell her. He started to pull away, eyes downcast, only to feel her hands over his on her face and she pulled him back. His eyes flew back to hers, seeing the tears and she whispered,

"I was so afraid that you had someone else you'd loved. I'm not sure if human's have the same draw, but I know that the only person I want to spend the rest of my life with is sitting right here with me. Thank you so much for choosing me…..for giving me this, even if I don't deserve it".

Garrus began to grin, unable to help himself, putting his forehead against hers, he said, softly,

"One of these days we're going to work on that feeling of inadequacy you have, Lia…but for right now, thank you for accepting me. I was…worried you might feel differently about me knowing this…"

Lia shook her head, "No! I love you. You're mine and deserve it or not, I'm so thankful that I have you."

Garrus drew her into his arms, just holding her, pulling her into his lap and just reveling in the freedom of holding her like this. Human's might not have the same motivations, but he knew what he smelled on her and her bond with him was just as strong as his with her. Whatever you called it, she was his, he was hers and together nothing could defeat them, not even the Reapers, Earth Alliance, the Council, Turian Hierarchy or the Spirits themselves.


	5. Scene 3

Bioware owns it all, no harm intended and no money being made. Yada yada yada. You know, I've never been a "please review" kinda author….but, errrrrr I LOVE the reviews I get! Let me know what you think of the characterizations! This takes place directly after the last fluffy like a bunny tail scene in which Shep finds out that she's far more than a passing fancy to Garrus and he finds out she's not above a little PDA.

Garrus held Shepard against him, one of his talons idly carding through her hair, the other resting on her back, holding her. Sitting up, facing each other sitting on the edge of a small cot wasn't the most comfortable place, however neither of them would have changed it for the world. Shepard had her hands resting lightly on his waist, occasionally stroking him with feather light touches as she rested her forehead against his chest plate. Garrus was so glad that she'd talked him into NOT wearing his armor today, though he still felt naked without it onboard the ship. But the feel of his Bondmate in his arms, against his chest made up for that feeling; and he worked very hard to guide his mind away from the images inspired by thinking 'naked' and 'Shepard' in a single thought.

"I could sit here forever, Garrus. I feel, safe and warm and happy.", Lia sighed, snuggling her upper body a bit closer to him, seriously considering crawling in his lap to get closer. Garrus chuckled, preparing to say something when Shepard's tummy made its complaints known with a low grumble. Shepard looked askance at her own stomach, as Garrus threw back his head and laughed,

"Apparently not all of you feels that way, Shepard. I guess your stomach hasn't fallen for my charms as much as the rest of you. I guess I'll have to find something to put in it" Unable to stop herself, Shepard quipped,

"That sounds promising, but it's not very filling and Mordin did say not to ingest…." Garrus looked confused for a minute, and then said,  
>"Shapard! That is NOT what I mean! I was talking about something you swallow, not…" at Shepard's amused look, Garrus shut up, shaking his head as he stood up, offering her his hand, "I'm shutting up now, seems everything I can say to this your dirty mind is going to take elsewhere." Shepard laughed with genuine amusement, seeing the grin on Garrus' face and took his hand, letting him pull her to her feet before saying,<p>

"Yea…one of the drawbacks of a life in the Alliance is the ability to hear almost any statement as innuendo." Garrus put his hand on her back to escort her out, and then hesitated,

"Shepard, are you sure about…"

"PDA? Yes, very sure." Shepard smiled, putting her hand on his hip. Garrus frowned,

"PDA? Is that some odd human word?"

"It stands for public display of affection…and I haven't changed my mind. I _want_ you to touch me. Like I said, missions, briefing and the like, professionalism; but just us, in our down time? I won't hide you or what I feel for you…unless you want me to, of course." The last sentence had Lia looking a little unsure again, glancing up at her mate. Garrus shook his head,

"I'm perfectly ok staking my claim in public, at least as much as decorum allows. But what touches are ok? It doesn't seem a good idea to make people uncomfortable or flaunt us. On a Turian ship, mates might exchange a few forehead touches, a fleeting touch to the arm or back. Just less intimate than you'd do in private." Garrus was looking down at her and Lia realized that he was asking for parameters. Like any tactician, and Garrus was an excellent tactician, he needed the boundaries before he could formulate a plan. Shepard grinned,

"Hands, arms, back…forehead touches, kisses at times; like when we have to part." Lia got a mischievous grin on her face and Garrus just stopped himself from groaning. He knew whatever was going to be said next was going to be a bit "shocking"; she only got the shit eating grin, as Jack called it, when she was about to say something to make someone, him in this case, shocked. "Hell Garrus, you can even touch my waist! Wrap your arm around my waist and rest your hand on my hip…and I can do the same." Garrus looked absolutely gobsmacked, he stuttered a few second before coming out with

"Your _**WAIST**_? In public? _**MY**_ waist? In _**public**_?" he stammered, shocked.

"Yea, there's no other Turians aboard, so we won't go around shocking them. Most of the crew won't even know how risqué it is in Turian culture; and those that do, like Mordin, won't think anything of it. Hell, Garrus, you're a 'bad boy", risk a little!" Garrus shook his head, but he was smiling as he said,

"Touch my waist much and I won't be fit to be seen in public without my armor, which you want me to stop wearing around the ship." Lia laughed her throaty laugh that never failed to make his plates start to shift and said,

"Shoot Garrus, remind me one of these day and I'll wear my old sparring clothes. It's these teeny, tiny little hip hugger shorts and an old half shirt. The shorts stop about here," and she ran her finger over her hips below her belly button, "and the top comes to about here," and she put her finger on a spot just under her breasts. "Leaves my WHOLE waist bare; you can even see my belly button."

Garrus groaned, the images assaulting his mind made his plates shift even more. Shaking his head forcefully, trying to think of _ANYTHING_ to distract his body before he simply threw Shepard down on that tiny little bunk and showing her exactly what his personal gun could do. Shepard, Spirits be damned, knew exactly what was going on with him and stood grinning up at him. Garrus groaned again and said, "Damn it, Shepard, I thought you wanted to eat…", her grin spread ear to ear and he sighed, THAT didn't help considering he knew what she was grinning about, "_breakfast_ in the _mess_ hall with _other people_! Keep it up and I'm not going to be fit enough do go with you. Hell, I might even toss you down on that cot and show you how to calibrate a gun" As he'd intended, Shepard's grin faded as she squirmed a little, her own mind running through images. Sighing, she said, not really sorry,

"Yeah, ok…how about you think of something less interesting?" He stared down at her, the plates above his eyes raised and his mandible spread in the Turian version of a grin as he smelled…no, thinking about _that_ was also not conducive to being able to leave this room. Finally, Lia said, "mmmm, what about Miranda with a strap-on and Jacob?" Garrus frowned, distracted,

"Strap-on?", he let the confusion sound in his voice,

"Yeah…see humans have a, err, device that many women and some men I guess use when they…err need to blow off steam, and don't have a partner" Garrus growled, deep and rumbling as his plates shifted some more,

"Not helping, Lia", but she kept grinning and went on,

"Oh, it will be, I think. Ok, this device; it's called a dildo, by the way, also comes in a version with a sort of harness that lets a woman attach it to her body. Facing out."

"Just in my short exploration of the female body, I can't see how having, _that_ facing OUT would do any good…", Garrus rumbled

"It doesn't for the one wearing it…but if she has a partner now, it makes, error, penetration possible." Lia grinned, carefully watching her mate's face. She could tell exactly when he _got it_.

"So….err….Miranda wearing this strap-on and Jacob on his…..ewwwwww!" Lia threw back her head and laughed at the expression of horror on Garrus face as his mind presented the image for him.

"Everything back where it should be for breakfast with the crew, Garrus?"

Garrus nodded, the expression of disgust still clearly written across his face, "Yeah, as a matter of fact that particular image may cause problem with my plates ever shifting again…"

Lia grinned, wickedly which was Garrus first warning, "Oh, I don't think I'll have any problems, I'll just wea….", before she could finish that though, her lover put a three taloned hand directly over her mouth, gazing down at her strictly.

"Enough, let's go find something to fill that mouth of yours" and groaned when her eyes took on a new level of mirth and he felt her grin behind his talons. Shaking his head, Garrus simply turned her around and began guiding her from the Main Battery, putting his hands on her shoulders. Lia was still chuckling when they walked down the little hall and entered the mess, and that became an actual laugh as Garrus caught sight of Miranda and blanched slightly, before taking control of his body and face, taking her hand, leading her to the buffet where breakfast awaited. Confused faces around the table exchanged looks, but then Tali shrugged,

"We probably don't want to know…", which Miranda, Jack and even Samara agreed with whole heartedly.

Shepard laughed as she sat at the table surrounded by her team, her tray nearly empty, but without any need to move. Garrus sat next to her, his own food mostly gone, though he occasionally picked up a narrow piece of food that reminded Shepard strongly of broccoli and popped it in his mouth as he discussed some new engineering part. Zaeed and Jack were trading insults and having a pissing contest about number of kills, with Grunt telling them of his own and bragging about how many he'd have soon. Jacob had joined them for a few minutes, about that time Miranda had excused herself claiming paperwork. Jacob left a few minutes later, much to Garrus disgust and Lia's amusement. Samara and Thane were discussing meditation techniques, with and Lia chuckled when Grunt, apparently board with Jack and Zaeed's conversation, turned to the Asari Justicar and said,

"How does this meditation help? Do you imagine you're killing things? Different ways to destroy? Thane and Samara exchanged a glance and Thane, his gravelly voice hinting at amusement, said,

"Perhaps Samara might explain…even show you sometimes, Grunt. She is a far better teacher than I" Samara gave Thane a glare that might have cowed lesser men, but the Assassin merely smiled, clearly amused. Having just swallowed a bit of eggs, Lia waved her empty fork at their general direction and said,

"You know, Samara, Thane… maybe we should have a class in basic meditation. Some of the crew could really benefit from a quiet, calming exercise." Samara and Thane exchanged a look and Thane said,

"Siha, if you believe it might be helpful, I am quite willing to offer my services…" Lia felt Garrus squeeze her hand, the one without the fork, showing he was listening to her conversation as much as he was involved in his own.

"It's not mandatory, of course…but especially after what the crew went through, maybe learning some meditation might be helpful. Samara nodded, offering her wisdom,

"It might indeed…"

"Jus what we need….some ga'dam pussy classes. What about something useful, Commander?, Zaeed spoke loudly, as he always did. Lia tilted her head to the side,

"You offering to teach some basic self-defense classes, Zaeed? Maybe Jack could help you out." Zaeed looked a bit surprised and Lia quickly pushed her advantage, "Most of the crew isn't military, so maybe knowing some basic hand to hand might make them feel more comfortable. Kelly told me yesterday that some of them are showing PTSD from their ordeal…"

Zaeed nodded, his expression going from caught to considering, "Mite not be a bad idea, Commander. Give em something to think about other than what they saw".

"If you think I'm helping teach a bunch of shits hand to hand, you're crazier than me, Shep!" , Jack exclaimed, frowning

Lia nodded at Jack, smiling wryly, "Yeah, I get it Jack…if you don't think you're up for the challenge, no problem. Zaeed can handle it, he's probably more capable anyway…", hiding her amusement, Lia kept her tone ad face clear and unchallenging. Predictably, Jack snorted and said,

"Fuck you, I never said I couldn't do it…."

"No Jack, that's ok. I understand that it may be too much for…." Lia began,

"Fuck you, bitch! Nothin is too much for me! I'll fuckin kick your ass and teach all these pussies to do it too!" Lia nodded sagely,

"Well, if you're sure you can handle it… Maybe you'll find that teaching is something you enjoy, Jack." Jack snorted, but said nothing else. Lia saw the looks on several of her crew's faces as they were torn between horror of Jack as a teacher and amusement at how Shepard had manipulated Jack into it. Garrus squeezed her fingers, their hands twined together and sitting on the table between their trays.

"Strikes me, Shepard, that we, "a wave at the table encompassing the team, "might want to do something to keep ourselves in shape too. Ya know, something to blow off some steam and keep us sharp…", Zaeed nodded toward Grunt and continued, "Maybe something like sparrin. We could keep each other sharp and keep the old reflexes strong."

Lia frowned a little, then said, slowly, "You know, that might not be such a bad idea…sparring with each other," a strict glance at Grunt who was nearly vibrating in his seat in anticipation. "Of course, we'll want to keep it friendly, but sparring a couple times a week may help all of us. All we need is one of us jumpy with guns and innocent crew members around." Grunt looked a little less thrilled, but still excited. "Kasumi, you're good at organizing; why don't you make some schedules for these things and make sure the information gets around the ship?" Kasumi turned off her cloak and became visible, causing more than one of her team to curse and jump. Lia smiled and looked at the Master Thief as she waited for an answer.

"Sure thing, Shep…I'll get them to you this afternoon…I think these are great ideas to keep everyone on their toes." Kasumi smiled as Jack and Tali both glared at her for scaring them.

Lia was just about to say something else when Jokers voice came over the intercom, sounding worried and odd,

"Commander…Admiral Hackett is at the airlock, asking permission to come aboard." Lia tensed and felt the rest of her team tense as well. Quickly assuming her "Commander Shepard, calm, cool and collected" face, she said, standing up,

"Give him permission, dock him and tell him I'll meet him at the airlock", she stood, disentangling her hand from Garrus', hesitated and looked at her team, all of whom were looking at her with various stages of worry. She smiled at them and started to pick up her tray as Garrus said softly, "Go on Lia, I'll take care of the tray." She nodded, absently, but noticed that Garrus touched her waist and when she looked over at him, widened his mandibles in a Turian smile and said nothing, his presence and touch were enough. She smiled a bit tremulously and said,

"Carry on, guys…I'll be back when I can.".

As Lia disappeared in the elevator, Thane spoke, his gravelly voice low, "I am not sure this bodes well…" and Garrus realized that everyone was looking at him. Sighing, he forced his own emotions down, saying confidently,

"It'll be fine…let's just get to work.".

Garrus was in the Main Battery, but he'd left the door open when he saw Lia exit the elevator with the man he assumed was Admiral Hackett. Lia looked somewhat tense as she strode beside the Admiral, hands clasped behind her back. They walked around the mess and stopped periodically, disappearing around the corner. A few minutes later, they re-appeared and walked directly toward the Main Battery. Garrus felt himself tense and forced himself to relax as they walked up the hall, talking softly. AS he reached the door, he heard Lia say,

"And this is our Main Battery and our Gun Chief, Garrus Vakarian. Garrus turned, his face carefully blank as Lia continued, "Officer Vakarian has been invaluable in both the mission against Saren and the mission against the Collectors. I can honestly say that I couldn't have been successful with either mission without Vakarian. Garrus offered the Admiral a Turian salute, with the Admiral returned with a human one.

"I'll be sure to pass on the praise for Officer Vakarian to the Turian government. I imagine they'll want to honor him themselves when he returns to Palavan. Officer Vakarian, it's a privilege to meet you. I've been asked to pass a message on to you from your Government; they would very much like you to contact them so they can arrange for your return. I believe they're intending to offer you a promotion and award for your work in these endeavors. I know you must be anxious to return to your own military.", Admiral Hackett kept his voice carefully neutral, but the sub-meanings were very clear. A glance at Lia told Garrus she'd gotten it too, so he said,

"Thank you Admiral, I'll be sure to notify Palavan soon that I'll be continuing my service with the Commander aboard the Normandy until the Reaper threat is neutralized." Admiral Hackett looked a little surprised, and said,

"Really, I'd think you'd be anxious to return to a Turian ship; they may even be intending to offer you command of your own. It must be somewhat uncomfortable serving about a ship that is mostly human."

"I appreciate your concern, Admiral, however I believe my services are needed more on the Normandy than on Palavan, at least for the foreseeable future. As to the comfort, Commander Shepard makes every attempt to make everyone aboard the Normandy comfortable, and I have no complaints. It's an honor and a privilege to serve with a Commander, she's a hero and I'm humbled by being aboard her ship. For a Turian, there is no greater honor than serving a Commander the caliber of Commander Shepard; one who goes above and beyond her duty, even at great sacrifice, to protect her species and the galaxy" Garrus glanced at Lia, found her eyes wide and saw her shake her head once, hard and narrow her eyes at him, but when Hackett turned to look at her, she had the careful, blank military face back on.

"Well then, since you're determined to stay and support the Commander in her…mission, I'm sure you'll be thrilled to know that the Batarian Government and the Alliance have determined that it is best to allow the Commander to continue her refit of the Normandy and her…err… mission for the foreseeable future." Admiral Hackett spoke quietly and Garrus felt a shock move up his spine. The Admiral wasn't' here to take Lia from them, but to apparently tour the ship and tell her that she was getting a reprieve. He forced himself back to the Admiral in time to hear, "The Batarian Government needs additional time to prepare their case, as does the defense, thus the decision has been made to allow the Commander to maintain her current actions with just a single Spectre on board. The Baterians were adamant that someone be kept in constant contact with the Commander to assure that she would be available when called." Garrus felt himself getting angry, but he kept his voice neutral as he said,

"It's rather insulting that anyone would think the Commander needed someone to make sure that she would turn herself in when called. After all, the Commander has never indicated that she intended to avoid the trial, even though it is obviously spurious and uncalled for." Now Lia's head shake and frown were quite obvious. She glared at him, and he met her glare calmly; no one was going to run his mate down without him standing up for her. Garrus just barely managed to tell the Admiral that he felt the Turian government would look down on the Alliance for allowing their officer to stand trial for following orders. Instead, he met Hackett's eyes, as the man sized him up and obviously made a decision. The Admiral gave Garrus one more salute and then turned and accompanied Lia from the battery, but nor before Lia was able to give him a solid glare that promised punishment later for his actions. He grinned at her, winking as he thought, "I look forward to the punishment…"

A few minutes later, Edi's voice came over the intercom I the Battery, "Officer Vakarian, Commander would like to see you in her quarters." Garrus grinned, he would have bet she did; probably to read him the riot act over his praise of her. He had the perfect response, however, _ANY_ good Turian would have said the same thing. She had put her mission above herself, time and again. He might not be a very good Turian, but she certainly was. Finishing up the work he was doing, Garrus shut the program down and headed out of the Battery, only to run into a group consisting of both Shepard's team and her crew, they were obviously concerned. Thane stepped forward, obviously about to take the spokesperson role,

"We presumed you were going up to the Commander's quarters?" Thane was his normal, quiet, dignified self, but Garrus caught the undercurrent of concern coming from the Drell; and the rest of the people as well.

"Most of us tried to tell the Admiral how Commander Shepard saved us…how she risked her life, even though she didn't have to in order to get us back and how she's always been there for all of us.", Kelly Chambers spoke quickly, her eyes concerned as she looked around herself and saw the number of nods coming from her fellow shipmates.

"I believe that the Commander was discomfited by the news the Admiral brought, but I am unsure as to what that news is. I believe she will need you a great deal at this point, Officer Vakarian; I hope you are willing to stand by her side.", there was an implied threat in the Asari Justicar's voice, and again, a great deal of support from the others.

"I will be by Lia's side as long as I live, physically when possible, but always in spirit. I'm going to make damn sure that she comes through this whole.", Garrus cleared his throat, "And no matter what they do, observer, ordering her to Earth to stand trial, she will know that we're all behind her." More approval, and Jack punched him in the arm, just below his shoulder and said, "Good for you, Vakarian…you're all right. You just make sure you're there to fuck her into relaxing and support her and we'll do our best to fuck up whatever is coming at her…" Garrus, despite the way it was phrased, was moved by the woman's statement, as well as the overwhelming support from the rest of the crew and Team..

"And if there's something to kill, we go in with the Battlemaster and kill everything in sight. If this trial thing goes bad, we'll just kill everyone." Grunt slammed one meaty fist into the other, grinning at the thought and Garrus cleared his throat,

"I know that Lia will appreciate all the support; there are times she really doesn't understand how important she is to all of is. So let's just keep to the mission, finding as many armies to support us against the Reapers." There was a subdued cheer and Zaeed clapped Garrus on the back,

"You go up there and get the Commander to relax and let us handle shit down here…"

Garrus nodded, they didn't have to tell him twice.

When Garrus entered the Commander's quarters, the first thing he heard was the shower running. Frowning, he remembered her return from the Alpha Relay when he'd found her in the shower, her fists pounded like bloody meat from hitting the walls, sitting on the ground hugging her knees and weeping. That thought still in his mind, he hurried into the bathroom and was nearly blinded by the rolls of steam billowing out when he opened the door. Thankfully, she was standing, her face raised to the water as it poured down her face and body. Her very _naked_ body, Garrus noticed. He felt his plates shift and cursed his body for reacting so strongly. He felt rather than saw her eyes come to rest on him and he heard the amusement in her voice when she said,

"Well don't just stand there letting all the heat out, come and join me…." Lia held out her hand, dripping water and he wasted no time stripping and taking her hand. This was better than he expected, having really expected to be lectured on his praising her in front of the Admiral. Again he thanks Lia for telling him to wear more civvies clothes around the Normandy, it made getting naked and into the shower considerably easier. He stepped under the hot water that still felt a little cool to him with his higher body temperature and closer to his mate, who ran her hands up his arms, stopping to rub his elbow spurs, to his shoulders. Resting her little hands in his shoulders, she stood on her tip toes to press her lips against his lip plates and was rewarded by the feel of his firm, circular tongue brushing her lips. His hands slid from her shoulders to her waist, the supple flesh and muscles feeling less and less alien each time he touched her. His tongue busy exploring her mouth, he slid his hands down her hips to her butt, pulling her close to him. He felt her moan and carefully began to rub his groin plates, which by this point had fully shifted and allowed his phallus to rub decadently against her body. The plates on his lower belly, which narrowed in a line, to a point just above his main groin plate, rubs against her clit, making her gasp and moan, her own tongue working against his. Sighing, he caressed her, his hands stroking her butt, her waist, and his mouth working down to her neck, just below her ear which was a huge erogenous zone for her. She gasped and arched against him, humping him as he smiled, nipping and lapping at her throat and neck. She felt him moan as she slid her hands from his shoulders down over his waist, stopping to massage and caress his waist. He growled deep in his throat and she smiled against him, using her tongue to trace the flesh between his plates. He slipped a talon down to her center, rubbing gently as she arched against him, then slipping it into her body, feeling her hot, wet tunnel spasm around him. She was wet, but not enough for his liking. Pushing her back against the smooth wall of the shower, he lowered himself to his knees and heard her moan as she realized what he going to do. Keeping his talon in her body, he used his mandibles to caress her nether lips the used the pointed edge of his tubular tongue to stimulate her clit. Lia gasped, writing and would have fallen had Garrus made sure he had her supported. Lia couldn't seem to find a place for her legs, wanting them to be wide enough, so Garrus simply took her leg and slid it over his shoulder, his big hands caressing it slowly as he worked her clit. Gasping his name, she arched toward him and he moved his talon inside her gently, stroking. She moaned and writhed, feeling him building the feeling, closer and closer to her release. He loved the taste of her, the smell of her.; he felt her beginning to tighten up and redoubled his effort, needing to feel her come apart in his hands. He slid his hands up and down her legs and hips. Suddenly, she gripped his fringe, which shed been stroking and arched toward him violently, calling I name she came. Feeling how wet she was now, Garrus licked and nipped his way back up her body, still holding her leg up, though he let it drop over his arm instead of his shoulder. As he stood up, he slipped his other arm beneath her other leg, so when he stood, he literally took her off her feet. She squeaked, which made him smile, that was something he'd definitely bring up later. Once he was on his feet, her legs were draped over his arms and her body was open for him, he kissed her again, his tongue running over her lips as he firmly stroked his cock inside her, hilt her with a single, powerful thrust. He growled, deep in his throat and she moaned his name, writhing against him as best as she could from her position.

"God Garrus! Yes! Please…I need this so much, I need YOU so much! Please don't tease me…." Lia's head writhed back and forth, and as much as Garrus wanted this to last, he knew it wasn't going to take much.

"So tight, amica….come for me, please." Garrus' voice was deep and growling, he thrust into her over and over, deeper and deeper until he felt her body tighten around him, she keened his name,

GARRUS! , she screamed as she came, feeling his tongue working her throat, his teeth clamping lightly over her shoulder. The spasms in her tunnel were bringing him quickly and he snarled her name, his face buried in her where her neck met her shoulder. He tried to resist, but the pull to mark his mate was overwhelming. He bit her, hard, as he felt himself reach the peak, thrusting like a piston. He heard her keen his name again as she went over the edge of climax and he poured his seed into her as the shower beat down on their heads. Holding her, buried inside her, his penis stuck there, holding them together, he moaned. Locking his knees, he rested against the wall, supporting her weight while he felt her lips wandering over his neck. He could tell she was smiling, so he was almost ready for her quip,

"Now see, _THIS_ is why shower sex is not a good idea with a Turian." Lia laughed, and Garrus was pleased to note that while she was joking, she was breathless and sounded well pleased. He purred, his arms supporting her seemingly effortlessly. Lia ran her hands over his fringe and his purr turned to a growl for a moment, then he said, huskily,

"Not a good idea, amica….we'll never get out of the shower if you start that." He felt her shake with silent laughter, and raised his head, sharing a smile with her. She tightened her body around him, and his purr once again gave way to a growl as he said, "amica…", warningly.

"I wish I wasn't so heavy…" she spoke softly, stroking his arms, careful to avoid his elbow spurs.

He raised his head from where he'd dropped it on her shoulder and frowned, "you're not heavy, Lia. I can stand here all day holding you if I need too, thought I'd rather carry you to our bed and lay there holding you, truth be told."

He was not prepared, however, for her to smack him on the back of his head, just below his fringe.

"HEY", he growled and raised his head again to look into her face. She was glaring at him now and he frowned,

"What?", he grumbled, rubbing his cheeks against her breasts. Holding her the way he was, he couldn't get a hand free to rub his head, so he rubbed and nuzzled her face.

"What the hell was all that crap you spewed to Admiral Hackett?", she sounded like Commander Shepard, no mean feat since she was, at the moment, held up in a Turian's arms, naked and wet, her legs draped over his arms and his cock buried inside her. She'd never looked LESS like the Savior of the Galaxy, but she sure sounded like it.

"It was the truth", Garrus shrugged and nipped her ear in retaliation, then went on, "Every bit of what I said was true, and I'd say it again. And it's something that every Turian would have said in my place. You _are_ a hero and putting you on trial for doing your duty is a slap in the face for every soldier to ever serve."

"Did you all have that planned out?" she sighed, rubbing her cheek against him to show there was no hard feelings. "At least I've got a reprieve for the time being, though not the way I'd have asked for it."

Garrus felt his body begin to deflate and slide from her, and he rubbed her carefully letting her legs slide to the floor as he reached up to redirect the water spray to flow between them, gently washing her as she began to wash his phallus before it slid back into his plates. She lowered herself quickly to kiss the tip, and he gasped, but she just smiled. He helped her stand back up finished washing both of them and reached behind her to palm the water off, reaching for a towel in a cubby beside the shower. Beginning to dry her off, he wasn't surprised when she snagged another towel and began to dry him off. He dried a lot quicker than she did, so when she was done drying him, she used the towel to wrap around her wet hair. He smiled, his hands still working the towel over her, drying her off.

Stretching, he took her hand and led her to the bedroom, pulling the covers back from the bed and gesturing her to slip in. The first few nights they'd had minor squabbles over who got which side, both wanted the side closest to the door so that they could protect their mate. Garrus had won, it appeared, as Lia slipped into the bed to the far side, and waited for Garrus to join her. Once they were both in bed, she snuggled up to him, letting him arrange the sheep to protect parts of her from chafing on his rough plates. As they settled, she rubbed her face against his shoulder, doing what she described as a "cat marking" and said, trying to stifle a yawn, "Garrus…why don't you just get your stuff and move it up here? There really isn't any sense for you to keep your stuff down in the Battery when you spend most of your time up here.

Rubbing his face against the top of her head, he smiled at her and said, "Wouldn't you prefer to wait until the Alliance sends it's babysitter to see how it's going to go over?"

Irritated, she said, "I told you, Garrus…this is not an Alliance military vessel and what we do on our ship is out business. I'm _not_ ashamed of you, or of our relationship and I'd really prefer you to move up here. Besides, Admiral Hackett told me who was going to be sent out here and I think that we'd both rather have you here."

Garrus tensed, there was only really one person who would have inspired that reaction and he felt his purr change to deep, gravelly growl as he said, "Kaiden" He felt her nod against him, and felt her sigh over his chest as she snuggled closer. A little unsure, Garrus said, softly, "are you asking me because you're afraid that you'll do something with him if I'm not here?"

Lia sat up a little and cuffed Garrus, glaring at him, "If it was, would I have asked you to move up here _before_ I knew Kaiden was coming aboard?" she glared at him, annoyed.

Smiling, he pulled her back down, not that she fought him much and said, nuzzling her forehead, "No, and you did. Sorry…guess he inspires a little jealousy on my part. Sharing a Bondmate is not exactly something a Turian does." He felt her smile, and teased, "So it's just about keeping me here, huh? You need a little style in your quarters?"

"That's right, Vakarian, yuk it up…maybe I just want to have your sniper rifle up here so I can play with it.", she smiled, teasing him

"Hey now, Commander…that rifle is _really_ nice, but if you want to play with a big gun, I've got a much better one for you, and you already handle it well." Garrus was grinning

"HA! Are you sure that one doesn't need _calibrating_? It seems you spend a lot of time calibrating anymore."

Garrus grinned at their teasing, "Now commander, you can't blame me for keeping my guns in good shape. After all, around you they tend to get _quite _ a workout. Keeping the gun calibrated means it's in the best shape for maximum efficiency."

Lia snorted, laughing, "Well, as long as it's at maximum efficiency, I guess I can't complain about all the hours of calibrating."

Laughing, the two settled down to get a few hours of sleep. Tomorrow wasn't going to be the easiest day, but together, neither doubted they could get through it.


	6. Scene 4

Garrus put the last box down in the Commanders, no strike that, in THEIR quarters. This had been his third trip from the Main Battery to the top of the ship and he was frankly amazed at the amount of _stuff_ he'd acquired since arriving on the Normandy. His first trip had been weapons, the second a few more weapons, his cleaning kits and ammo. The final trip was odds and ends like clothes, a few pieces of paper and datapads. Thankfully his armor was already up here, since this was where he'd taken it off. Lia was on duty, so she wasn't here and Garrus looked around the mess he'd made of the quarters and groaned, deciding he needed to get everything put away before she got off duty. The weapons were quick, they went into the weapons locker that was in the closet. Normally, all weapons would be locked up in the Armory, but these were his personal weapons, and they'd saved his ass, and usually Lia's, more than once, so he kept them with him. The Ammo went into the locker too, which just left his clothes and person stuff. Lia had told him to just take whatever of the closet he needed, and when he opened the door, he chuckled. Her wardrobe was small and functional, other than the leather dress she'd word to help Kasumi and then Samara, which Garrus would be forever grateful to have seen her in, she had an Alliance dress uniform, her Spectre dress uniform and several ship uniforms. In the drawers below her clothes were, what was it Lia had called them? Oh yes, _unmentionables_, the underwear she wore under everything, and the set he'd seen the night before the Collector mission that she told him she'd gotten just for him. He drew the back of his talon across the smooth fabric of that set, grinning as he remembered her wearing it.

Garrus knew the minute his mate walked in the door, of course both by the sound of the door and the smell of his mate. But he didn't bother to stop touching her clothes, waiting for her to come over to him. She did, wrapping her arms around his waist from behind and ducking her head under his arm. She could have stood on top toe and put her head on his shoulder, but this worked just as well. Seeing what he was doing, she grinned and said,

"Are you _petting_ my bra, Garrus?" Garrus turned around, sliding his arms around her shoulders as she kept hers around his waist. He lowered his head, pressing his forehead to hers and said,

"Yep…remembering that particular piece of clothing on you, amica…." They stood like that for a while, foreheads together, arms around each other, simply content to be there with each other. Then Garrus checked the Chrono and said, "What are you doing back here so soon ,Lia? You're not off duty yet; checking up on me?", grinning, Garrus nuzzled her. Lia squeezed his waist a moment, making Garrus catch his breath, then she said, her voice a bit muffled from where she'd buried it in his chest,

"We just got word that we're due to meet up with Kaiden's ship within half an hour. I wanted…", she trailed off, moving almost imperceptivity closer to Garrus, but not going on. Garrus simply held her, a part of him worried that the worry about Kaiden was because she still wanted him, sighing, he said,

"Lia, you want me to come up and meet the ship with you?" Garrus tried to get her to look at him, but eventually had to take her chin in his hand and force her to look at him, "Lia…what is upsetting you so much about this? Are you…still attracted to Kaiden?"

"_**WHAT**_? HELL no! Garrus! What the hell are you thinking!", Lia had pushed back from him and her eyes were wide and more than a little angry; but the hurt in her eyes is what slammed into his gizzard. Immediately, he tried to fix it,

"You're so upset about him coming here….and I know you two used to be, close. IT's ok if that's it, Lia…I know you're committed to me and there is no way you'd….." Garrus stopped talking forcefully as Lia punched him in the carapace. It knocked the air out of him, though it didn't really hurt so much as surprise him. He stumbled back a little, into the closet as she stepped forward,

"How fucking DARE you, Garrus Vakarian! You think that I'm worried because I might WANT him? HIM? The same bastard who told me I betrayed the Alliance, him and everyone else on Horizon? The same man who STILL thinks I'm a…a…basically a WHORE who doesn't deserve… GODDAMN IT GARRUS! The only thing I feel for Kaiden anymore is contempt . You want to know the real reason I don't want him on this fucking ship? Why I want you there? Because he's been sending me emails since Horizon alternating between calling me a betraying bitch, trying to make me jealous and begging me to suck his cock. I fucking respect him as a Spectre and a soldier and for his help against Seren, but the last thing I need is some fucking idiot who thinks he loves me following around sniffing my ass all the time like I'm a fucking dog in heat." Lia's chest heaved as she yelled at Garrus, having backed him up in the closet and against the far wall, her finger in his face.

Garrus was shocked, he'd had no idea what was really going on and now that he'd managed to piss her off majorly, he had NO idea how to make it better. Slowly, carefully he raised his hands, putting then gently on her upper arms. She didn't protest, but simply stood there, her face inches from his, the hand that had been pointing at him now resting on his chest, still balled into a fist. He inhaled deeply and realized he smelled blood, looking down, he realized she'd cut her fist on his plates and was bleeding sluggishly. Carefully, he step toward her, using his hands on her arms to back her off a bit, lowering his face to nuzzle her ear, whispering, "I'm sorry Lia…I had no idea. Shhhh, its ok, come here…" He drew her slowly, gently into his arms, wrapping his arms around her. He felt her swallow hard, and she tensed and he waited, she'd either embrace him back or push him away, either way, he made a vow to himself not to allow that action to color his perceptions again.

With a sigh, she relaxed and leaned into him. He guided her toward the bed, sitting her down and joining her. Reaching behind him, he got the first aid kit from the drawer and put some medigel on her fist. Her wound cared for, he drew her close to him again, letting her find the place she was most comfortable, her head on his shoulder, curled into his body.

Lia didn't cry, but she was simply leaning into him, drawing his warmth and strength from him; from their relationship. Sighing she said, "Garrus, I don't want to hurt him…no matter what else has happened, we were friends. Once. But I want him to know from the get go that I'm taken…that you're mine and I'm yours and there's no room for him here."

Garrus ran his talon up and down her back, it seemed to relax her, so he kept doing it as he rested his cheek against the top of her head, rubbing against her periodically. He finally said, "I always seem to misunderstand you, Lia…why do you put up with me?"

Lia chuckled, weakly, "Well, to be fair, if I'd tell you more of what's going on in my head, you might not misunderstand so often. So why do you put up with me?"

Garrus chuckled, "I guess we're a pair then, aren't we amica?"

Lia burrowed a little closer to Garrus and chuckled, "We're a matched set, I guess…"

Garrus nuzzled her cheek, then pressed his forehead against her again, chuckling as he said, "Ok, amica…shall we go meet our guest?"

Lia looked into Garrus' eyes and said, haltingly, "You're going with me?"

Garrus growled, eyes sparkling at her as he said, "I am…and if need be, I'm _more_ than willing to stake my claim on my mate in the most obvious and public way possible…."

Lia laughed and threw her arms around Garrus, hugging him and pressing her lips against his lip plates, which he responded to as best he could. "I don't think that will be necessary, Garrus…but this is definitely a time for some PDA!"

Five minutes later, they were standing outside the cockpit, waiting for Kaiden's ship to dock. Tali had surprised them by being there along with Thane, Zaeed, Mordin and Miranda. Joker looked at all of them, and quipped,

"If he's gotten any smarter," snorts from Tali and Garrus, "he'll take one look at this welcoming committee and head back where he came from". Lia looked at her team and felt a lump in her throat, this was what family felt like. But she frowned and said,

"I'm not sure that we need this big of a welcoming committee…" Tali traded looks with Miranda and nodded at the group,

"Well, Shepard…everyone is here for a reason. Miranda is the XO, so she needs to be here…Mordin, well, he needs to scan Kaiden and make sure he doesn't have any…err…."

Mordin nodded, "Virus or diseases that could affect the rest of the crew, Commander…must make sure he's clear of anything that might hurt the crew or team…"

Lia frowned, this sounded like they'd planned it. "And Thane, Zaeed and you, Tali?" Tali drew herself up and said,

"I'm am _OLD FRIEND_, so of course I want to see Kaiden."

Lia just looked at Tali, she knew bullshit when she heard it, but she mildly said, "And Thane and Zaeed?"

Thane cleared his throat and said, "It would be unwise to allow any person to enter the Normandy without sufficient backup, Commander. While I am fully willing to believe that this current situation is as it seems, we would be remiss not to provide a sufficient honor guard. I am here due to my biotics and Zaeed is here for his hand to hand combat."

Lia shook her head, but Garrus saw her trying to hide a smile as she said, "I see…" Further conversation was suspended as the airlock began to cycle. The seven people, with Joker watching avidly from behind them, waited at the airlock for it to open, silently. When it finally opened, Kaiden was standing just beyond he stared at the Commander with such an expression that Garrus felt himself growl, almost unconsciously. Tali glanced over at him, and Lia simply reached over and took his hand, wrapping her fingers around one of his talons. Reminded that no matter what the human biotic _wanted_, he, Garrus Vakarian, former C-Sec, former Vigilante, current bad ass, had Lia and that wasn't going to change, Garrus managed to stop growling and simply stand there calmly.

Kaiden turned to the woman behind him and said, "thank you for providing transit, Captain Merlot, it was a pleasant journey." The woman smiled, then glanced past Kaiden to the group assembled and her eyes fell on Lia. She frowned and glared, before turning to Kaiden and saying,

"It was our honor to give you transport, Spectre. If you need a return trip, please don't hesitate to send us a signal." She offered him her hand and he took it, absently, not noticing that she held his hand a bit too long to be simply respect. Garrus smiled, Kaiden was obvious to everything, some things didn't change. Kaiden turned back to the Normandy and picked up his bag, entering without a backward glance, eyes only for Lia. As the airlock doors closed, Garrus saw the frankly yearning look on the face of the Captain before turning his attention back to their newest guest.

Kaiden cleared his throat, "Permission to come aboard, Commander Shepard?"

Lia knew that probably everyone there wanted to tell him 'NO', but she simply smiled as blankly as possible and said, "Of course."

Kaiden seemed obvious to the others around the Commander, simply stepping up very close to Lia and setting his bag down, looking a bit nervous as he said, "Hello Shepard…it's good to see you, though I wish it wasn't under these circumstances. How have you been?"

Lia tried to ignore the fact that Kaiden was in her personal space and forced a professional smile as she said, "Welcome aboard, Kaiden. I hope you'll feel right at home here on the Normandy, you remember Tali and Garrus, of course?"

Kaiden seemed to realize for the first time that there were others standing there, he smiled at Tali and nodded at Garrus as Joker said,

"Yeah, just ignore the cripple flying the ship, Commander…"

Lia grinned over her shoulder at Joker, her face undergoing a complete change from the cool professionalism when speaking to Kaiden. "Yes, Kaiden, you remember Joker of course…the best pilot in the universe?"

"Ha! Flattery will get you everywhere, Commander!", Joker quipped.

Kaiden turned back to Lia and said, softly, "You didn't answer my question, Shepard. How have you been?"

His ignoring the rest of her team annoyed Lia, so she simply said, coolly, "Pretty much the same as I was on Horizon, Kaiden. Doing whatever I have to do to save the galaxy…working with anyone who can help, defeating Collectors, killing reapers…you know, the usual." Garrus covered his chuckle with a cough and Kaiden looked up at him, frowning,

"Garrus…been a long time. I thought you were back at C-sec…" Kaiden seemed to at least try to obsessing on Lia and Garrus shrugged,

"You're out of the loop, Kaiden, I haven't been back to C-sec for years. When Cerberus brought Lia back to life and I found out, I came back to where I belong."

Kaiden frowned, "I'm surprised you agreed to work for Cerberus, Garrus…considering their stance on aliens."

"I never worked for Cerberus, Kaiden; I worked for Lia. No matter what else happens, I trust Lia with my life. I doubt you'll find any of us on her team who don't. By the way, in case you're wondering, this is Thane Krios, Mordin Solis and Zaeed Mussani, three other members of our team and Miranda Lawson, our XO. I'm sure you'll meet the rest while you're here." Garrus made no apologies for stepping up and calling Kaiden on his ignoring the others, or his reasons for following Lia. And the fact that he used Lia's first name repeatedly, despite the fact that out of their bedroom he usually referred to her as Shepard or Commander was meant to bring the arrogant biotic to the truth. Lia never stopped him, not even a warning look, so she must be on board with it. He saw Tali's grin out of the corner of his eyes, but continued to stand at Lia's back, his hand still loosely held in her own. Either Kaiden hadn't noticed, or he was ignoring that little fact.

Mordin, who had been quietly running his Omni tool over Kaiden, said, "Everything seems clear here, Commander…no diseases, but some indication of previous exposer to certain..less than common diseases from other life forms." Kaiden glanced at the doctor, frowned, then looked as Miranda as she said,

"Welcome aboard Spectre…I hope you don't intend to cause too many problems…we might bot be the Alliance, but there are some rules…" Miranda's eyes were cool as she looked at Kaiden, but just as before, he looked at her, then his eyes seemed drawn back to the Commander. Miranda rolled her eyes, looking irritated,

Clearing her throat, Lia took back charge of the conversation, "I'm sure you'll want to settle in, Kaiden. Unfortunately, the Normandy doesn't have VIP rooms, so you'll have to bunk in the crew quarters, I hope you'll be comfortable there. Thane, why don't you show Kaiden to his bunk?" Thane nodded, peacefully, but Kaiden frowned,

"I thought maybe you and I could talk, Shepard. There's a few things we need to talk about." Garrus saw the lost puppy dog look on Kaiden's face as he stared at Lia and if Turian's could have gagged, he would have. But Lia was calm, cool and collected as she said,

"We can talk at dinner tonight, Kaiden. Our cook, Gardener is making meatloaf and it's to die for. Right now, I'm due to go off shift and I need a shower; I've been crawling under panels all day and I feel decidedly icky."

Garrus couldn't resist, even if Lia smacked him or got angry, he leaned over a bit and sniffed, pretending to make a face, "I _thought_ that smell was coming from you, Lia…but I was too much of a gentleman to say it." Lia half turned to look at him, eyes narrowed playfully as she gently smacked his chest and said,

"Quiet you! Just because you got off duty today to move! Trust me, tomorrow I'll sure that the Main Battery has some panels that need crawling into! Have to calibrate those guns by hand sometimes."

Garrus heard Tali snicker and Zaeed laughed out loud; even Thane wore an expression of amusement as Garrus said,

"Now now, Shepard…you know I always keep all the guns primed and ready! Not to mention I thought the days of _calibrating by hand_ were past now! There are certainly better ways to, err, calibrate the main gun. As to crawling into small, confined spaces, that's never been a problem once I learned the mechanics of it."

"Eww! TMI guys! Come on, tender ears up here!" Joker's expression was one of horrified illness that belied the laughter in his eyes. Tali and Zaeed were both laughing outright now and Garrus was pretty sure that last cough of Thanes was a chuckle in disguise. He looked down at Lia, grinning up at him and his mandibles widened in a Turian smile. Kaiden was frowning and looking between Garrus and Lia, but he only said,

"You had to move, Garrus? I hope I didn't toss you out of your bunk…." And Garrus grinned still,

"Not at all, Kaiden…I was bunking in the Main Battery until I got a better offer. The move's been planned for a while now, but our Commanding officer is such a slave driver I only just got the shift off to move my stuff to my new quarters. And, of course, off duty hours are still pretty errr,tight."

Lia snorted, not at all ladylike and said, "Thane, show Kaiden to the crew quarters, please…Zaeed, when did you decide to hold the first sparring match?", her eyes sparkled and something told Garrus he was going to regret his teasing.

"Tomorrow night, after chow, Commander…make sure everyone's full and slow to kick their arses…" Zaeed was thrilled to put in his two cents,

"Well then, clear a space on there for Shepard/Vakarian, will you? I'm going to kick Garrus' ass here and show him what it's like to be pinned and helpless.", Lia grinned at Garrus, as Zaeed chuckled,

"There'll be bets on that one, Commander…

Garrus grinned as he and Lia turned to walk away, "Awww…at least you're buying me dinner first this time, Shepard. Usually you pin me without even a date….." Tali stood with Joker as Garrus and Shapard walked off, still bantering. Zaeed headed off toward the armory, probably to talk to Jacob and Miranda and Morden walked off together toward Morden's lab. Thane gestured to Kaiden, who was watching Shepard with undisguised desire, and no little bit of confusion. As they walked toward the elevator where Garrus and Shepard had just disappeared into, Tali head Joker,

"You know, if he didn't get that, he's as dense as the Normandy's outer hull. Those two did everything except start a game of tonsil hockey…."

"Tonsil hockey?" Tali looked at Joker askance and he grinned,

"yea, Tonsil hockey…you know, frenching….tonguing….", and proceeded to do something to his hand that Tali found more than a little pornographic. Making a face, she disappeared after Thane and Kaiden.

Things about the Normandy were just about to get more than a little interesting, she thought.


	7. Scene 5

Ok, next chapter is a bit of a different one…part of this is from Kaiden's perspective. I beg the pardon of all the Kaiden fans reading this if I get him out of character in your eyes. I freely admit, I don't like him (too much emo little whiney boy) and while I try to keep all my characters in character, I admit that they are in character as they appear in my mind, not necessarily yours! As always, I own none of these…Bioware is the owner, I'm just borrowing them for a while.

_**CHAPTERBREAK CHAPTER BREA CHAPTER BREAK CHAPTER BREAK**_

Kaiden followed the Drell to the elevator, watching the lights to see where Garrus and Lia exited the elevator. He frowned as the car started back down ; it appeared that both Garrus and Lia got off the elevator on the same floor, in what had been the top of the ship in the old Normandy. He watched for another stop, but the elevator came back down to the CIC. As they entered the elevator, Kaiden turned to the Drell, Thane, he thought his name was and said, "How long have you been with Cerberus, Thane? The Drell observed him calmly, and Kaiden felt as though he were being weighed and found wanting. When Thane spoke, however, his gravelly voice was cool, "I have been with Commander Shepard for several months, since she located me on Illium. I do wish to point out that Commander Shepard has ended her alliance with Cerberus at this point."

Kaiden looked at Thane and said, "I'd heard that, I just wasn't sure if it was true or not."

Thane quietly observed him, blinking both his eyelids slowly before saying, "I would not make a habit of questioning Commander Shepard's honor on this ship, Major Alenko. Most of the crew and team owe her greatly; in many cases we owe her our lives and as a whole, she is very well respected."

Kaiden shook his head, hurriedly, "I'm not questioning her honor, Thane…"

Thane shook his head, interrupting Kaiden, "If the Commander says that she has done something, to question if that is the truth or not is questioning her honor, Major and that type of disrespect is liable to cause friction between yourself and those of us who follow her."

Before Kaiden could reply, the elevator doors opened and Thane preceded Kaiden from the elevator, expecting Kaiden to follow. The moment Kaiden stepped out into the corridor, he heard voices from what he assumed was the mess, and saw a lovely Asari Matriarch standing near the elevator. Thane inclined his head toward the Asari and she responded in kind, Kaiden watched as Thane stopped and said, "Samara, this is Major Alenko, the individual the Alliance has sent to monitor Commander Shepard. Major, this is Samara, an Asari Justicar. Kaiden blinked, he'd heard of Justicars, but he'd never expected to meet one as they rarely left Asari space. He offered her his hand and she took it, inclining her head toward him, but said nothing to him. Instead she turned to Thane and said,

"Thane, when you are done with the Major, we are meeting in the mess hall with some of the crew." Thane acknowledged that with a nod and said,

"Of course Samara; I am simply showing the Major to the crew quarters and then I will join you." The Asari nodded and turned to walk to the mess as Thane, his hands clasped behind his back, continued walking, expecting Kaiden to follow him.

They walked in the Crew Quarters and Thane nodded to an empty bunk with bedding folded up on top and said, "Here you are, Major. I'll leave you now as Samara and I have agreed to teach some of the crew simple meditation techniques." With a final nod, Thane exited the room and left Kaiden alone. Sighing, Kaiden made his bunk and put away the few possessions he'd brought with him. Occasionally a crew member would enter the quarters and while they were all unfailingly polite, none were particularly friendly. He tried to ask some questions without being too forward, but all he managed to learn was that unlike the first Normandy, the Commander's quarters were not on this level, but none would confirm where they actually were. It seemed off to Kaiden, but he let it go. After settling in, he left the Crew Quarters when a group of crew members sat down to have an impromptu card game, and despite some furtive looks, no one asked him to play. Despite the fact that he would probably have declined, Kaiden was a little upset that no one had even asked him to sit in. He tried to reason through it; he was new here and he was in a position that, from what he's gathered from speaking to Thane at least, wasn't seen as overly positive. Kaiden was surprised, however, in how many of the Cerberus crew; no, he corrected himself, _former_ Cerberus crew members had once been Alliance. Kaiden couldn't figure out how anyone could go from Alliance to the Cerberus, especially if they'd left the Alliance on good terms.

Kaiden wandered, he found Dr. Chakwas and spent a few minutes catching up with her. He was relieved that at least while she wasn't as happy to see him as he'd expected, she was at least pleasant to him. She even reminded him that should he suffer another migraine, to come see her immediately. Kaiden walked past the mess where the "class" in meditation was apparently over as Samara and Thane were both standing surrounded by several crew members speaking quietly. Kaiden entered the elevator and hesitated, then jumped as he heard a disembodied voice,

"Major Alenko, can I be of assistance?" Kaiden looked up and realized it was probably the ships VI. Starting, Kaiden corrected himself, the ship didn't have a VI, it had an AI. An _**unshackled**_ AI at that. Deciding to be polite, he said, "Yeah, I guess. I'm sorry, I don't know your designation…"

"Commander Shepard and the crew refer to me as Edie, Major Alenko.", Edie communicated with the new shipmate quietly with the same courtesy that she would have any guest.

"Right, Edie. Ok, can you tell me where the Commander's quarters are, Edie?"

"The Commander's quarters are located on the top level of the ship, Major"

Kaiden frowned, Lia and Vakarian had both gotten off the elevator at her quarters. Kaiden decided to simply head to Lia's quarters; they really did need to talk. Before he could push the button, however, the elevator began to move up. Kaiden assumed that Lia had called the elevator, probably to ride down to the mess for dinner. When the elevator reached the top floor, the door opened and to his surprise, it was Vakarian standing there, not Lia. Garrus had his back to the elevator and was speaking to the Commander, who was apparently in her quarters still. Kaiden caught site of a fish tank full of fish that took up part of one wall as he stood looking over Garrus' shoulder.

Garrus sighed and called, "The elevator is here, amica…"

Sounding frustrated, Lia's voice called back, "I need the stupid list of repairs, Garrus and I can't find the data pad. I can't tell what's your stuff and what's mine…..and, Fornax? Really Garrus?"

Sounding embarrassed, Garrus sniped, "Well, what else would you suggest for the research I was doing, Lia? Come on…we'll be late to mess if you don't hurry. Can't you look at the lists later?"

A deep sigh from inside the quarters, "We're going to have to organize all of this, Garrus so we can both find what we need. Maybe we can set up the office area with two work stations… Edie, hold the elevator up here, please?"

The disembodied voice spoke, a hint of amusement, "The elevator is currently waiting for you, Commander, along with Major Alenko…"

Garrus swung around, going into a defensive stance at Edie's words and Lia stepped out of her quarters, eyes wide as she stared past Garrus into the elevator. Kaiden remained silent, staring at the scene in front of him, trying to make sense of it.

Lia walked up, placing her hand on Garrus' back, waiting for him to relax and straighten up, she watched Kaiden and said , "Kaiden, I wasn't aware you were coming up…" Rather than her uniform, Lia wore a pair of uniform pants and a tank top that showed off her broad shoulders and slender arms and neck. Over her arm was her uniform top, and in her hand was a pair of data pads.

Kaiden tried to focus his mind, and stammered, "I was exploring the ship when the elevator started up here. I guess you, or rather Vakarian, called it while I was trying to figure out where to go"

"I could tell you where to go", Garrus muttered under his breath causing his mate to pinch is waist lightly, but Kaiden hadn't seemed to hear. Louder, Garrus said, "You should have said something, Kaiden…I would have said hello if I'd have known you were in the elevator" in his own mind, Garrus finished, 'spying on us'.

Kaiden cleared his throat, "Sorry, I was thinking of something else and didn't realize…err…that the door had opened."

Lia and Garrus exchanged glances, neither believed him, but at Lia's head shake, Garrus let it go. Not like he wasn't happy enough that Kaiden had seen proof of his relationship with Lia anyway.

Kaiden refused to accept that this was what it seemed, he thought that Vakarian must have been up in the Commander's quarters talking about the ship. There was no way that Shepard, _his_ Shepard had become, like _that_. Garrus stepped to the side and let the Commander walk into the elevator first, and Kaiden stepped closer to her, lowering his head and refusing to look at Garrus as he said, "Shepard, we really do need to talk…maybe after dinner we can come up here and speak privately?"

Garrus considered seriously entering the elevator and stepping between Kaiden and his mate, but dismissed it with a sigh. Instead, he stood to her left, leaning back against the wall as the door shut. He heard Kaiden ask to come to his and Lia's quarters to talk after mess, and smiled. Kaiden would get a shock when Garrus joined them. He was surprised out of his thoughts by Lia leaning against him. He looked down to see that she'd stepped closer to him, and was leaning against his chest, the back of her head resting just under his shoulder. Garrus raised a hand and began to stroke it up and down her back; that usually calmed her. She glanced up and smiled at him and he smiled back as they both watched Kaiden.

Kaiden tried to get his head around what he was seeing Lia leaned back against Vakarian as though she did it all the time and his talons were sliding up and down her back in a very familiar manner. Shaking his head, Kaiden started to speak, only to be interrupted by Shepard.

"So talk, Kaiden…what is it we need to talk about?" Lia raised her eyebrow, head cocked and waited.

"Wouldn't you rather talk about this in private, Shepard?" Kaiden frowned, he really wanted to speak to her in private, but she wasn't making it easy. Was it possible she was trying to avoid him? Kaiden dismissed that, perhaps she was trying to placate Vakarian.

"Anything you have to say to me, you can say in front of Garrus…and probably my team and crew as well." Lia's voice was firm, leaving no room for argument. And then, as the doors opened, she finished, "If you don't want to talk during mess, Kaiden, that's fine…but if you want to talk to me afterwards in my quarters, Garrus is going to hear it anyway, since it's his quarters too." Lia took Garrus' hands and exited the elevator, Garrus looked over his shoulder and snorted, Kaiden looked pale and shocked, he leaned against the wall as though it was the only thing holding him up. Leaving Kaiden there, Lia and Garrus headed over to the mess, both nodding or speaking to various members of their team and crew on their way to the food.

**CHAPTERBREAK CHAPTER BREA CHAPTER BREAK CHAPTER BREAK**

Kaiden walked into the mess just as Lia and Garrus were sitting down at the table. Lia's tray was piled with meatloaf, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn, a salad and two rolls. Garrus carried a tray with a similar selection. Gardner had been very good about finding ways of making Dextro friendly meals that were close to the Levo foods the rest of the crew ate. Garrus had to admit, this "meatloaf" made out of Dextro friendly meat from Palavan and the rest of the plate was excellent. As he and Lia sat down, joking and bantering with the others in the mess, he saw Kaiden walk into the room and head over to the buffet to get a tray. He walked over and hesitated until Lia gestured to a seat next to her, between she and Thane. Thane moved over slightly and Kaiden nodded his thanks as he moved to sit down. Lia turned back to her conversation with the tattoo covered woman with the shaved head, laughing as she dumped her roll in her gravy and popped a piece in her mouth.

Jack laughed, shoving some of the meatloaf into her mouth, the babysitter was good looking enough, but the way he stared at the Commander made her nauseous. Jack pointed her fork at Garrus' plate and said, "What the hell is that made of, Garrus?" Looking over from his conversation with Tali about the new power management couplings, Garrus looked down at what Jack was pointing at and said,

"The 'meatloaf'? It's ground meat from a _callai. _It's native to Palavan and it looks a little like a…hmmm, I don't really know what to compare it too."

Jack eyed Garrus plate speculatively and Garrus felt a low growl start in his throat. Lia reached over under the table and squeezed his thigh and he looked over at her to find her watching him, grinning. Giving her a sheepish grin, he turned back to Jack who was apparently carefully considering snagging a piece of the callai from his plate. Before could move, however, Mordin coughed and said,

"Would not recommend, Jack…unsure of your allergy status….might cause severe stomach cramping, bleeding, headache, possible death from anaphylaxis."

Jack looked down at Mordin and said, "Huh? Those two are fuckin each other all the time…how come they aren't pukin their guts up?" More than one of the crew members put down their forks, looking a tad green at Jack's choice of words, but Mordin said, as Lia blushed,

"Have given both proper medication to prevent allergic reaction…advised not to ingest, but neither show any allergy markers to opposite protein. Lucky."

Joker pushed his half-finished plate away, "Thanks Jack…I think I lost my appetite…." Jack grinned at him and reached over, snagging the largest piece of his meatloaf left on his plate and dumped it on hers, snorting,

"No problem….I'll make sure it won't go to waste…"

"HEY! That was mine!", Joker complained loudly, trying to snag his food back from Jack's plate only to jerk his hand back as Joker tried to stab him with her fork. As the two squabbled, Lia rolled her eyes and put her face in her palm.

Garrus grinned at the antics of their friends, but finally said, "Jack, leave Joker alone…he's got to fly the ship and we don't want to end up in a sun or something because you've pissed him off….Joker, there's more food up there if you want some, leave Jack alone."

Joker and Jack exchanged looks, and giving Garrus identical innocent looks exclaimed, together, "Yes daddy".

Lia choked on the food she'd just swallowed as Garrus stared at the two of them, mouth open, eyes wide. Zaeed who was sitting on Garrus other side pounded Lia on the back, leaning behind Garrus' back as she tried to breath, until she waived him off. Zaeed settled back, grinning as Lia took a drink and wished for the first time that it was something a little stronger than juice. Garrus still sat and stared at Jack and Joker, with such an expression of shock that Lia began to laugh. Tali joined her and pretty soon everyone but Kaiden and Garrus were laughing so hard tears were pouring down their cheeks. Garrus simply shook his head, buried his face in his palms and muttered, "Spirits save me from crazy people….."


	8. Scene 6

Ok, the first part of this story is based on a conversation I just had with a guy who is the boyfriend of a friend of my daughters. I swear, this story is nearly identical to what he told my daughter, son in law and their roommate tonight after we had a BBQ and watched WrestleMania. It was hilarious and I hope I've managed to carry that over. OF course, HIS story had some additions I left out (a freckle ) and I added a changed a few things (Obviously there are no Vorcha here at this time). Rated M/P for Mature and PAINFUL (and hopefully funny!) and as always, Bioware owns everything except the story!

_**CHAPTER BREAK CHAPTER BREAK CHAPTER BREAT CHAPTER BREAK**_

"I could tell you stories that would make your ga-damn hair stand on end, let me tell you…" the old Merc spoke in his distinctive voice, accent growing stronger now as he kept talking. Lia sat next to Garrus, their hands twined together on the table. On the other side of her, Kaiden sat, looking uncomfortable and casting occasional pained glances at Garrus and Lia's clasped hands. Many of the crew had gone on to their posts, or their bunks to rest, leaving the team and a few others sitting around talking. Zaeed settled back, his customary cigar clenched in his teeth, though not lit as Lia had glared at him when he'd started to do just that. Jack laughed and said,

"Jesus Zaeed, not another merc story…don't you have something more interesting?" Lia was aware of several eyes going toward Kaiden, including Zaeed who grinned and said,

"Well…I guess I could tell you about my dick…." Zaeed grinned and Joker choked.

Joker choked up and stood, heading away from the mess calling back over his shoulder, "Ok, that's it…I'm heading back to the bridge….this is more than I need to know….."

Jack grinned, "Pusssy!"

Joker merely raised his middle finger at her over his shoulder, not looking back. The people in the mess chuckled and Zaeed took that as the go ahead and Lia groaned, feeling Garrus shake his head, but neither made any move to leave as Zaeed leaned back and grinned, "My dick is a go'dam work of art." Ignoring the groans from the listeners, he went on, grinning, "Notwithstanding it's incredible size and girth, it's fuckin beautiful! Not a fuckin bit of bend, straight as a Turian's back" Garrus frowned at Zaeed, who ignored him, going on. "But I will say that there are a few scars and marks on it…but they only serve to make it more special.

Now, you men will appreciate this…when your half asleep, getting up to take a leak, it's too bloody easy to miss yur shit and zip up in the bloody zipper", several of the males in the group groaned, a few nodded and the women giggled, though many felt sympathy.

"Course it always happens when yur half asleep and not payin attention…you just wander to the loo and whip that baby out half hard from morning wood and bleed the lizard…", Zaeed seemed to realize his company and glanced over at Thane who was listening to the story with a calm, detached look on his face, his double lids blinking slowly and said, "sorry mate…no offence.".

Thane waved a hand dismissivly, "None taken, continue"

Zaeed nodded and said, "Anyway, you go to take a leak and your dick is half hard, less you've got woman to help wit that and even when you drain it, it's still hard. So you go to zip up and feel like you jus got shot, cut and blown up and it's all focused on your dick. Always happens ta me jus below the head on the shaft where the vein is. Fuckin wakes yur ass up, let me tell you! Your jumpin around, cussin and yelping, thinking you got a Varren hanging on ta yur dick and rippin it."

Several of the men were looking half sick, a few were even nodding sagely, and a couple seemed to be trying to curl into fetal position, either in memory or sympathy. Garrus, whose sex organs were kept inside until needed, shook his head, but Lia noticed that even he was a bit pale. Lia lowered her hand from his on the table and reached over to gently ghost her fingers across his groin plates, making him look over at her, smiling a bit.

"so there are those scars…not too many, but enough to give it character. Then they're the tooth marks!" Zaeed continued, grinning "See, I was in this shit hole planet, we'd jus finished this mission takin a ship from some dirtbags and liberating money they'd been charging a bunch of backward fuckin colony types. So, here we are, flush for once and no shippin out for two days. I get to the bar and find out that we're not the only ship in port, and seems we got there a little late and all the whores that were decent lookin were taken. Course, by decent lookin, I gotta say they had most of their own teeth and no scale worm." Titters from the listeners and Lia looked around, seeing a the majority of her team, Kaiden and a few crew members including Kelly Chambers and their cook, Gardener. Some people were talkin to each other, but most were listening with that guilty fascination to Zaeed. You know the look, like watching a ship wreck, you don't WANT to watch, but you just can't quite tear your eyes away, even when everything in you says, "STOP".

"so, I got to lookin round after a few drinks and saw this Vorcha standin over by the door and by that time, she didn't look half bad, considerin and my dick was lookin for something other than Rosy Palm and her five daughters. So I stood up, grabbed a bottle of cheap booze and headed toward the Vorcha girl."

"wait, how the hell did you know she was a girl, Zaeed?" Jack asked, chin in her hand, listening with unconcealed interest in the story.

Grinning, Zaeed made a motion with his left hand and said, " They have the requisite openings, Jack…who cares what else is loomin in there. Honestly, not sure if they have male and female, but they've got whores makin money for their service. Anyway, this Vorcha, Craawa her name was the best lookin of the leftovers and she was willin to take me up on my offer so off we went to the room I rented. We was getting busy there and I figure she's knowin what she's doin, so I'm layin back, letting her do her stuff. Now mind, I'm closing my eyes at this point…Vorcha aint my preferred partner," Zaeed coughed discreetly and went on, "apparently, this Vorcha had a run in with a bad john the week before and he'd broken her jaw…course, she didn't tell me that, nor that she wasn't healed total and had a habit of lockin her jaw."

There were several moans and groans now, from the listeners and Garrus, despite Lia's hand on his thigh, Garrus shifted and crossed his legs. Lia grinned and Garrus glared at her, muttering that it wasn't funny. Lia noticed that there were several other females grinning, but then Zaeed's voice went on, continuing his story,

"So there I am, my hands restin on her head, guiding her ya know? Shoving my dick in her mouth, moving pretty good and feelin everything getting closer, if you know what I'm sayin. Then I feel the most awful pain….felt like my dick had been caught in a trap, and I was stuck like a fuckin rat in a trap. Course, I did the first thing I thought of, and I slapped the shit outa the bitch. Now I don't know how much you've looked at Vorcha, but they don't have teeth like our friend Vakarian here," Zaeed slapped Garrus on the back, pointing at his teeth which were pretty much straight, "but the Vorcha teeth are curved backward, so once they lock onta something, when you _pull_, it digs the teeth inta the meat, making it more painful and harder to dislodge."

Zaeed paused to take a gulp of his drink and Lia was amused to see that despite his attitude, Zaeed was a bit pale. Nothing, however, like the other males in the room, many of whom were pale and sweating, and several were covering their laps protectively. Lia wasn't the only female to be looking around either, Jack was grinning like a mad woman, Tali giggled, trying cover it up, but failing miserably. Samara seemed to have her usual calm, controlled face on, but Lia could see the amusement in her eyes.

Having drained his glass, Zaeed refilled it from the pitcher on the table, adding a liberal dose of whatever he kept in his flask on the sly and went on, "so…there I am, my dick caught in a fuckin steel trap, the Vorcha tryin to get away from me as I beat the shit outa her tryin to get my dick loose. So I pulled my gun and shot her between the eyes…" Gasps around the room, that had been unexpected. "Once she died, her jaw relaxed and I was able to get my dick outa her mouth. My poor fuckin dick was bleedin like a stuck Varren and beginning to swell and not in the good way. There's these holes in my dick and they're bleedin and feelin like it's been in a meat grinder and I've got this dead whore in my room. I tell you, I had to pay her pimp a shit load of money, despite the damage to my dick, he said this bitch had been his top earner. Fuckin Batarian worm wouldn't let me get to a doctor til I paid, and I was more worried bout my dick than my pocket."

Grinning, Zaeed paused, apparently done with his story, but several of the gathered crew called out questions, and Kasumi, her curiosity as always her undoing, finally asked, "So..what happened to your cock?"

Zaeed grinned and said, "I went to the doc, but a fuckin Batarian doc on a backwater world didn't know shit about it. Gave me some antibiotics and filled me with pain meds and sent me off. Next morning, my dick was twice it's normal size, black and blue and oozing green shit from the wounds." Shivers from many but Zaeed went on, obvious to them, "I tell you, it looked like a piece of meat left in the sun too long…I thought it was going to flat fall off for a while, antibiotics of now. And I aint afraid to say, that I had a heat sink ready to go if I woke up one morning with my dick in my hand and not attached. I'd have fuckin blown my brains out. I decided to do what I could, so I took this piss poor bottle of booze…some fuckin backwater swill, but sturdy enough to knock you on your ass with a few drinks. Figured that the worst that could happen was I die drunk, poured that shit in a big fuckin glass and dunked my dick in it. Burned like a fuckin fire, I felt like my dick was burning in acid, but I left it there for five minutes til I couldn't stand it no mare. Pulled it out, slapped some salve on it and wrapped it in medigel and gauze. I did that every fuckin night for a week, and then I noticed that it was beginning to scab over, figured at that point it was gonna heal. But I tell you, for a while there, I was thinking that I was gonna be dickless until I blew my brains out."

There was a lot of laughter and good natured teasing of the older merc, who took it I the manner it was intended. After a few minutes, someone asked Zaeed if he still had scars and he grinned and said, "You bet yur ass I do…gives my dick character. Took me a few weeks to be able to jerk off for sure…and the first time I fucked anyone, I held a gun to the whore's head makin sure that I wasn't going to repeat the experience. Didn't lose any feeling, thank god, but there was a good side." Kasumi, of course, couldn't let that slide and asked Zaeed,

"Good side? Sounds like you're lucky to have a cock at all, Zaeed…what good could come from it?"

Zaeed sat back, grinning, "Cause of the damage, it takes me a long time to cum…so I can make a girl feel pretty fuckin good several times before I shoot my wad….makes me a real popular fucker in some circles." More laughter followed and not a few quips including that Zaeed should be careful, he might become as popular as Garrus; which caused Garrus to grin.

"Naw," Garrus quipped, "No way he can compete with a Turian for staying power…and I don't have to worry that my prick looks like it survived a firefight"

Zaeed slapped his thigh and laughed, "Yea, maybe…but if the Commander wants to come to my quarters, I'll prove to her that looks don't matter…I hear she likes scars." Lia chuckled and said,

"Appreciate the offer, Zaeed…but I think I'll stick with Garrus."

"Well, if you change your mind, Commander, you know where I am…anyone else want to come down and find out how much staying power I've got." Lia laughed as Garrus growled audibly, which caused more amusement.

Jack observed Zaeed through narrowed eyes, sizing him up, as it were, before saying, "Hey old man…I'll bet you can't keep it up at all…sounds like wishful thinking sayin it lasts longer…."

Zaeed, never one to turn down a challenge, said, grinning at Jack, " Sounds like a challenge girl…you want to put your puss where your mouth is?"

Jack seemed to consider that a moment, then stood up and said, "Why the hell not….it's boring as shit here and I could use a distraction….come on old man…" As the two left the mess hall, heading toward the elevator, there was absolute silence from the others, until Lea shook her head and said,

"On that note, I think it's time to call it a day…you ready to head up, Garrus?" Nodding, Garrus stood, still shaking his head.

"Yea…I think it's time to head to our quarters…and hope to the Spirits that I don't have nightmares."

Lia and Garrus stood up, followed by several others, but Kaiden's quiet voice stopped most of them, "Commander, we still need to talk; any chance we can talk before you go to bed?" Glancing over at Garrus, who shrugged, Lia sighed and said, "Sure, Kaiden…why don't you ride up with us and we'll talk." Kaiden nodded and got up, following Garrus and Lia to the elevator, noting with relief that the old Merc and the tattooed woman were gone. He was well aware of the looks and whispers of the others as he entered the elevator and Lia chose the button for the top floor.

_**CHAPTER BREAK CHAPTER BREAK CHAPTER BREAT CHAPTER BREAK**_

Once arriving at their quarters, the three entered and Lia glanced at Garrus, trying to decide where to have the conversation. They could stay in the office section, but there was only one chair at this point and she didn't have any desire to sit on the desk. The couch was pretty neutral, but it overlooked the bed, which might set an unwanted vibe. Finally, Lia decided that since Garrus was there, the couch would be the better choice; besides, she'd had other friends there on the couch. Liara, Tali, even Thane had sat on her couch and spoken with her at one point or another.

Leading the way to down the stairs, she saw Kaiden hesitate, looking at the bed, but she gestured to the couch, saying, "Have a seat, want a drink? I have some really awful wine that I got on Illium…since it has no proteins, it's safe for everyone to drink." Kaiden nodded hesitantly and Garrus squeezed Lia's shoulders and said,

"I'll pour the wine, Lia…sit down and relax…" Lia sat on the opposite side of the couch from Kaiden, leaving enough room for Garrus to sit beside her. As Garrus busied himself pouring the wine, Kaiden spoke to Lia in a quiet voice,

"Shepard, we really do need to speak in private. I respect that you're…err…_with_ Vakarian now, but there are some things I need to ask you that his presence might cause issues." Prepared to shoot Kaiden down, Lia paused. At that moment, Garrus came down the steps and around the corner, meeting Lia's eyes with a quizzical look. He carefully handed their _guest_ his wine, he set his own glass and Lia's on the table and said,

"Lia, you want me to go ahead and take my shower while you and Kaiden talk?", he was ready to forget the shower, sit next to her and be damned Kaiden's _private_ conversation. But Lia hesitated, then said,

"Sure, Garrus…I know you didn't have time for a proper shower before we went to chow…" Garrus felt a surge of protectiveness and jealousy, especially when he saw the look of victory on Kaiden's face, but he tamped it down and offered his hand to Lia. She took his hand and he pulled her to her feet and into his arms, lowering his head to rest his forehead against her, he murmured,

"You sure?" he let the possessiveness and hesitation show in his eyes and voice as he ran his hands up and down her arms.

Lia nodded against his forehead, then nuzzled his mandible and kissed his lip plates, murmuring back, "Yeah, you're 20 feet away if I need you and I can handle Kaiden for a few minutes. But hurry, ok?" Out loud she said, teasing him, "Don't use all the hot water, Garrus, I thought we'd have a shower together later on…I want to check the calibration on your personal gun." Her eyes twinkled at him as he chuckled and bumped her forehead with his own before turning to head to the bathroom. He gave Kaiden a look that very clearly warned the other man to stay away from his mate as he passed.

Lia sat back down and picked up her wine. She knew that even through the door and with the water running, Garrus would have no problem hearing every word that she and Kaiden said. Smiling encouragingly at Kaiden, she said, "Ok…what's on your mind, Kaiden?"

Knowing he had limited time, Kaiden cut right to the chase, keeping his voice down so the Turian in the bathroom couldn't hear, he said urgently, "Are you really okay, Lia? This _behavior_ really isn't like you. If you're in trouble, I can help you."

Frowning, Lia said, "Trouble? Like what, Alenko?"

Kaiden paused at her use of his last name, but went on, "Such as if Vakarian has something he's holding over your head to force you to do this…to be with him. If he does tell me and we can stop him. I will do anything to protect you, you know that."

Lia snorted with laughter and said, "You think Garrus is blackmailing me into a relationship? Wow, that's something, Kaiden. I'm not even going to ask what you think he might _have on me_, because frankly it's insulting to even have you think that way. I assure you, I'm in a relationship with Garrus because I want to be. He makes me happy, and to tell you the truth, it was me who approached him."

Kaiden looked stunned at that particular piece of news, but wasn't ready to let it go yet, "Why, Shepard? He's not your type…he's not even human!"

Lia frowned, her irritation was rising, which was never a good sign. "My _type_? I didn't know I had a _type_. Or did you mean that he's not _you_?"

Kaiden watched her avidly, he was sure there was more to it than she was letting on, so he said, "He's not human…I know I hurt you on Horizon…is this your way of getting back at me? Or maybe you're unconsciously choosing Garrus because you were so hurt…."

Lia's eyes widened and she outright laughed, amusement replacing irritation as she said, "Wow…that's egotistical even for you, Kaiden. Look, I'm with Garrus because I want to be; because I love him and I respect him and he just makes me better. I trust him, he's my best friend and my mate and if you can't understand that, I'm sorry. His species never entered into the equation, because I love the man, not his looks; though I have to admit, Garrus' body is an added bonus." Lia chuckled and continued, "I admit that what you said and did on Horizon hurt my feelings, but I'm not" she made "quotes" in the air with her fingers, "_getting back at you_ or hiding because I was hurt. Garrus is my mate and I'm exactly where I want to be. And frankly, that's all I'm going to say, because my personal relationships is absolutely none of your business. Next order of business?"

Kaiden was pale, but he pressed the issue, "Lia, just one more question, please. If I had joined the Normandy on Horizon, would it have made a difference?"

There was absolutely no hesitation in Lia as she answered, "No, I'm sorry Kaiden, but the only thing between us was a fleeting passion, and I'm beginning to think it wasn't even that…just a convenient method to scratch and itch. Even if you had trusted me and rejoined my crew on Horizon, any chance of a relationship between us died when I did."

Kaiden watched her face for a few moments, then nodded and said, "I'm not sure I totally believe that, but I'll let it go for now."

Lia felt the irritation rise again, but forced it back down. Since Kaiden was "willing to let it go", she was as well.

Kaiden's voice became more professional and he said, "I'm not sure if the Admiral told you everything about what's happening, but I think you deserve to know. The Baterians are out of blood, Shepard. You murdered over 300,000 people and the Baterians want you to answer for that. The Council has decided not to take any action before the Alliance decides it's course, so technically, you're still a Spectre, but basically you're on paid leave."

Lia nodded, that was pretty much what she had expected. Before Kaiden could continue, Garrus walked out of the bathroom, Lia looked at him and smiled, noting that for a Turian, he certainly looked pleased with himself. He moved down the steps and lowered himself to the couch next to Lia and slid an arm over the back of the couch, wrapping it loosely, his talons gently caressing her opposite shoulder and upper arm. Lia pulled one bare foot up under her and leaned into Garrus as he reached to the table and snagged his glass of wine. Watching his long arm retrieve his glass without moving his body, Lia couldn't help by chuckle and say, "That reach, Garrus…it's still one of the things I love about you". Garrus didn't answer her out loud, but he chuckled and touched his head to hers. Lia turned her attention back to Kaiden, who was markedly less comfortable and said, "And the Alliance? The Admiral said they're working with the Baterians to work out a mutually beneficial solution, and that I'd most likely stand trial, but he didn't say much more."

Kaiden shrugged, "The Baterians wanted you turned over to them for a trial on their world, but the Alliance said that you're human and they wouldn't be following that course of action. They suggested a compromise to have you stand trial in a military tribunal, but the Baterians felt that a jury trial would suit them better. They tried to insist that the jury be made up of the Baterians that you'd "wronged", but the Alliance compromised again with a jury consisting of 6 Baterians and an alternate and insisted that the jury had to be as impartial as possible which means that the JAG core will be sending people to the Baterians home world to hold interviews and choose a jury pool. The other six people will be human, a mix of military and civilians"

Lia shook her head, it sounded like these talks had been going on for a while, and she'd not heard a thing about it. Garrus was nearly vibrating with rage, so she wasn't surprised when he ground out,

"And the fact that she was just following orders has nothing to do with it? I would think your Alliance would be more willing to stand by their soldiers when they're following orders…", only Lia's warning hand on his leg made him shut up, but he was still angry.

Kaiden frowned, "Orders? Lia, were you on an assignment when you went in there?" To Garrus' irritation Lia shook her head.

"I can neither confirm, nor deny that, Kaiden. Whether I was under orders or not, I still made the final choice and I'll pay the consequences, if necessary."

Kaiden made a mental note to talk to Anderson about that, but what he said was, "Shepard, it really could make a difference. If you were working under orders from an Alliance officer, that is mitigating circumstances. Of course if you were working under Cerberus orders, that could be bad…though you might be able to swing that to your advantage. Either way, it's something you really should talk to your legal rep about"

Lia shrugged and continued to stroke Garrus leg, trying to calm him as she shrugged, "We'll see, Kaiden. Do you know how much time I'll have before I have to turn myself in?"

Kaiden didn't want to change the subject, but he knew how stubborn Shepard was, so he went along with the change of subject, "About six months, give or take. Between traveling between worlds, setting up rules and such and choosing juries, advocates and the like, that's the figure they've come up with. The Alliance wants you to use it to tie up loose ends, take care of your ship and crew and prepare yourself for the ordeal."

Lia shook her head, "No, I'll spend whatever time I have trying to get people ready for the Reapers. If we don't prepare for them and get everyone on the same page, then when they finally attack."

Kaiden frowned again, "Do you really think that it's still an issue? I mean, your report said you destroyed the Reaper through the relay and we already killed Sovereign; how many more can they have?"

Garrus snorted and Lia shook her head, "Thousands is a conservative estimate…and every one of them is determined to come here and destroy all sentient life. This isn't propaganda, Kaiden, it's fact. They're bigger, stronger, faster and more vicious than anything we have and when they come, the destruction will be astronomical. If we, and by we I mean every single species in the galaxy, doesn't put aside their differences and work together to get ready, they're wipe us out like a hot knife through butter."

Kaiden still didn't look convinced, and Garrus felt his irritation rise again, even higher. He swallowed the rest of his wine and put the glass on the table, mostly so he wouldn't break it. Instead, he tugged his mate closer to him, resting his cheek on the top of her head and listened to this arrogant ass dismiss the facts. Lia continued stroking his leg trying to calm him, wishing she could stroke his fringe or waist, but since that couldn't, she chose to cuddle up next to him and stroke his leg. She knew that Kaiden was uncomfortable with the way they were close to each other, but she honestly didn't care.

Kaiden tried to ignore the scene in front of him and instead said, "I've seen the Alliance reports, do I have your permission to go back through other footage so I can see for myself what's happened?"

Garrus growled, he couldn't help it, this jackass had just basically called his mate a liar, Kaiden heard it this time and looked over at him, caught between shocked and nervous. Lia squeezed Garrus' knee, hard enough to distract him and he looked at her, catching the warning in her eyes. He retreated back to the couch, realizing he'd leaned forward when he'd started growling. This wasn't the time, but Lia had to admit that some very primal part of her was thrilled her mate was willing to fight for her honor.

Lia kept her face passive and said, "Of course, Kaiden…I'll instruct Edie open up the files for you. I know that once you've seen the information for yourself, you'll understand how much danger we're actually in."

Kaiden nodded, then said, still keeping a wary eye on Garrus, "I guess that's about it…except to tell you that I have the authority to relieve you of command and place you in custody if I believe you're doing something against the interest of the Alliance. I'm sure that won't be necessary, but I wanted to let you know what they've told me to do. Right now, I'm here to observe and keep track of you; as well as monitor your interaction with the crew and your team and make a report as to how the Alliance can use you all. And of course, to learn the Normandy so that I can make suggestions as to the retrofit once it's in Alliance hands."

Garrus sat up straighter, and Lia did the same. Lia frowned and said, "Kaiden, I'm not sure what you've been told, but A) I'm not Alliance anymore, and this is NOT an Alliance ship. You're here because I am cooperating with the Alliance, but you have no power at all. You may observe, interact, search the files, etc., but you have no authority and whatever the Alliance thinks, I will _**NOT**_ be turning the Normandy over to them when I hand myself in. This is **MY **ship, and while I'm more than willing to offer schematics and other information, the ship and crew are my responsibility and I won't betray them to the Alliance."

Lia watched as Kaiden's face betrayed his confusion, then went on, "As I see it, your task is to make sure that when I am called I go to the Alliance and turn myself in. But I never agreed to give them the Normandy, nor to my crew or my team. Of course if you have reservations about my actions, I'm willing to hear them, but the final decision about my actions, with the singular exception of my surrender to the Alliance, are mine and no one else's."

Kaiden was still frowning, "I thought it was all arranged, at least that's what the councilors on Earth told me, Shepard. That when the time comes, you'll drop off any remaining alien crew members and bring the Normandy and the human members of the crew to Earth to face judgment. And that the Normandy was to be retrofitted back to an Alliance Cruiser; I believe I heard that the Council was considering using it as a Council ship."

Lia shrugged, "I can't help what they think, Kaiden, but as I've said, when the time comes, I'll turn myself in, but the Normandy and crew, as well as my team, will not be part of the package. The Alliance Council wants a ship, they can build their own, but they're not getting their hands on the Normandy to gut her and take her from me. No matter what is decided, this is MY ship and will remain so."

Kaiden looked concerned as he said, "I urge you to reconsider, Shepard…I'll have to report this to the Alliance Council and it may change their minds about leaving you out here for six months."

Garrus tensed at the implied threat, but Lia simply stood up and said, coldly, "Do what you have to do, Kaiden…but my mind is made up. Now, if you're done updating me on the situation, my mate and I are tired and we'd like to go to bed."

Thoroughly dismissed, Kaiden stood and headed toward the door, his face confused, "Ok, Shepard…we can talk more later. Have a…err…nice night"

The minute the door hissed shut behind Kaiden, Lia said, "Edie, lock my door please…unless there is imminent death, dismemberment or a hull breach, we're not to be disturbed. Oh, and give Major Alenko access to any information regarding the Reapers, the Collectors and our missions….but he's got read only permission, no changes. And make sure he can't access crew or team files or any personal files. Also, keep a log of everything he does on the extranet."

Edie's voice, as always was calm and rational as she said, "Of course Commander…logging you off."

Lia turned to Garrus and the two looked at each other, no words were necessary. The situation was more complicated than the two had thought and it was going to take a bit to make sure that everyone was protected. Sighing, Lia moved into Garrus' arm and buried her face in his chest plates. Sighing, she said, "Garrus..would you mind…I mean…you know I want you…" Garrus put a talon over her mouth and then slid his other hand down to capture her hand, beginning to lead her to the bed.

Garrus smiled at Lia, seeing the emotions running through her eyes and said, "Tonight, how about we just hold each other? We've got our entire lives to make love…but I think, maybe, tonight…we just need to be close and hold on to each other."

Lia swallowed the sudden lump in her throat and nodded, she ached to feel Garrus' arms around her, to feel protected and safe, as she always did in his arms. Garrus led her to the bed as she stripped off her clothes and slid into bed, not bothering with sleep clothes tonight. Garrus followed suit and joined her, drawing her into the circle of his arms as he lay on his side, facing her. She snuggled so close that it was almost as though she were trying to crawl inside him. Carefully, he stoked her hair and her back, rested his chin on her head and just held her. Just before she fell asleep, she heard him whisper, "There is no Vakarian without Shepard….we'll face this, amica….together."

Lia drifted to sleep, safe, warm and contented, but it was a long while before Garrus joined her. He continued to stroke her long after she'd relaxed in slumber, determined to find a way to make sure that he could keep his promise.


	9. Scene 7

Bioware owns it all, I'm borrowing. Review are well appreciated and all are read.

_**CHAPTER BREAK CHAPTER BREAK CHAPTER BREAK CHAPTER BREAK**_

Garrus made a change to the numbers on the Thanx cannons and sighed, he hated Omega with a bleeding, bloody passion and that was currently where their ship was docked. They needed supplies, and despite the arrangement with the Alliance, and the presence of a Council Spectre and Alliance soldier on the Normandy to _monitor_ the Commander, none of them fully trusted that if they pulled into an Alliance held area, or even a Council held planet there wouldn't be an attempt to arrest them. So here they were, docked to Omega while various crew members went around gathering what they needed. The only thing that made this acceptable in Garrus' eyes was that his mate hadn't gone off the ship. He'd have insisted on going with her, of course, and despite his hatred of Omega, his loved his mate more. But lucky for him, she stayed on board and he was left calibrating the guns. The final numbers came in and with a sigh, Garrus shut off the system; everything checked out, the weapons were ready and the targeting systems as perfect as he could make them. He prepared to leave the main battery to head up to the quarters he shared with his mate, but was stopped by a familiar voice over the intercom,

"Garrus? Could you come to engineering please?", Tali, a brilliant Quarian engineer and one of his oldest friends rarely asked him for his assistance, so he was a bit startled. Looking askance at the door, he responded,

"Can it wait, Tali? I was just about to go to my quarters…" Garrus wasn't unwilling to help, but he'd been at the Main Battery for several hours, well past even a Turian's shift and he was tired.

Tali's voice sounded worried, "Uhm…no, it can't wait, Garrus…I need you here in engineering immediately."

Garrus frowned, "On my way, Tali. What's the problem?" Garrus' long legs had already taken him from Main Battery to the elevator when Tali responded, this time her voice seemed…off.

Almost hesitantly, "Err, there is a, variation in the, err, power to the main guns."

Garrus paused, he'd just spent hours calibrating those guns, and he'd seen nothing. Frowning, he said, "Are you sure, Tali? I just.."

"Damn it Garrus…just come down here. Keelah, it's not like I ask you to help me that often"

Garrus' frown deepened, but he said, placating, "Calm down, Tali, I'm on the elevator already, I'll be there in a few minutes."

The elevator opened and Garrus exited, heading toward the door to engineering that opened close to Tali's station. He was still somewhat confused, but if Tali was that upset, then there had to be something going on, but he'd seen nothing to indicate it on his station. That could only mean that either his station was damaged, he'd missed it, which was not likely, or there was something in Tali's station that was screwed up.

Garrus sighed as he thought longingly about the shower and bed up in his quarters, then sighed again; that damn bed. Human beds were not made for Turians, something that he'd thought he'd gotten used to over the years. But sharing a human bed with his mate, and a human at that, had becomes increasingly difficult. Turians spurs were very sharp, and he was constantly watching to make sure that he didn't cut his mate. Human beds were really only designed to allow a sleeper to sleep flat on his back, on his side or his stomach. Laying on his back he had to keep his legs up, so he didn't catch his spurs on the mattress and rip it; again. Not to mention that it put his fringe in a certain positions that could hurt. Laying on his stomach was the easiest on him, but it meant that his arm spurs were toward his mate, or if she put her leg over him to sleep, she ran the risk of catching herself on his leg spurs. So far, laying on his side worked the best, facing his mate. But there were times he got very sore laying in the same position every night. There were times he really missed Turian nests, though, of course, his human mate wouldn't be very comfortable since Nests has little to no padding.

Sighing, he walked up to Tali, who, he noticed belatedly, was watching him. He widened his mandibles in a Turian smile and said, "Ok Tali…let's see this variation…" His smile vanished as he watched her shift from foot to foot and noticed she was no longer looking at him.

Tali cleared her throat and said, "It's, well I didn't record it. But it'll happen again in a few minutes, just come here and watch."

Garrus narrowed his eyes, something wasn't right. Tali was too good an engineer not to have made a recording of any major variation, and if this wasn't a major variation, she wouldn't have called him. "Tali? What type or variation was it?"

It was impossible to see Tali's face, due to the suit she had to wear because of her damaged immune system. But over the years of being friends, he'd learned to read her body language, the primary means that Quarians used to communicate to others; Turians used body language as well, though it was secondary to the sub-harmonics of their voices. That experience allowed Garrus to notice that Tali was nervous.

Tali turned quickly to the engineering station and said, somewhat breathless, "It was something in the power grid for the, err, targeting system."

Shaking his head, Garrus walked up to Tali and looked at her station, asking, "Was it the Thanx cannon? Or one of the other systems?"

Tali shifted again, "The…err, cannon?"

Garrus looked over at Tali, frowning, had that been a question or an answer? "Tali, I just spent the last shift and a half calibrating the Thanx cannon…are you…"

Tali interrupted him, "I mean it was the…side guns…."

Now Garrus was really confused, "Tali, we don't _**HAVE**_ side guns…are you sure…"

Tali snapped, anger and something else in her voice, "Keelah, what is it with the interrogation, Garrus? Do you think I'm lying or something?"

Garrus reared back, startled. He couldn't have been more surprised if she's physically slapped him. "Tali", he started, but was interrupted

"There…there it is again..", Tali was looking anywhere but at Garrus.

Garrus' eyes snapped down to the station, but he saw no fluctuation. Frowning, he said, "Play it back, I must have missed it"

Tali shuffled her feet, looking down at the ground, "I don't have the record on…."

Garrus narrowed his eyes, there was definitely something going on and it had nothing to do with the weapons systems, power fluctuations or recordings. Garrus crossed his arms over his chest and gazed down at Tali, but she refused to look up at him, continuing to stare at her feet. As the time stretched out, Tali shifted more and more nervously, but Garrus stood stock still and simply waited. The next move, however, shocked him worse than anything prior.

Tali threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and hugging him, exclaiming, "Oh Garrus! I missed you! I was so worried about you when you disappeared; you never answered any of my letters and no one could find you."

If Garrus eyes got any wider, they would have fallen out of his head, the sudden rush of her body on his had him stumbled backward where he slammed into the bulkhead and his arms automatically went around her as he tried to avoid damaging her suit with his talons or spurs. He stuttered, awkwardly patting Tali on the back, not knowing what else to do, "Tali…I'm sorry if I, err, upset you. I wasn't thinking very clearly, but I should have kept in contact. But it's ok now, we're here, safe and sound…it's ok…." Garrus realized that Tali was actually hanging from his neck, like a piece of jewelry and he had no idea what to do. Gently, he disengaged her arms from around his neck and put her back on her feet, still awkwardly patting her shoulder as he said,  
>"Tali…I think you're overwrought. Maybe you need to check in with Chakwas, or get some sleep. Whatever variation, Edie can keep an eye on it and call you or I if it happens again, or if it's major. I mean, I think you might be…tired." His words trailed off, and Tali glared at him, her hands on her hips,<p>

Tali sounded furious, as she snapped, "Well, you arrogant bosh-tet! I bare my feelings, try to be friendly and you tell me to go to the doctor? Keelah, I can't believe I care what happens to you…"

Faced with her wrath, after her uncharacteristic display of affection, Garrus had no idea what to do. He began to back up, heading for the door muttering apologies and something about getting back to his station; and promptly ran into the door as it didn't open. He turned, triggered the door, but it stayed red.

Edie's voice came over the intercom, "I'm sorry, Officer Vakarian, there seems to be some sort of problem with the doors in engineering. I'm working to override them now."

Garrus bumped his head on the door twice, then said, his voice low and filled with menace as he growled, "Edie, I suggest you open this door NOW, or by the Spirits I'll go **THROUGH** it." He nearly fell into the hall as the door opened,

Edie's voice sounded slightly irritated as she said, "Of course, Officer Vakarian, I'll be sure to put your needs above everything else whenever you demand it"

Garrus looked up at the ceiling, knowing that Edie was not in a single place, but now thinking beyond it as he said, "I'm sorry Edie, I didn't mean to be…difficult." Edie didn't respond, and Garrus felt like beating his head on a wall. He pushed the call button on the elevator, when he heard the sound of a door opening, "Please, Spirits. Please…don't let it be Tali…"

"Hey Birdman…what's shakin?" Jack asked, walking up and slapping him on the…butt? Eyes wide, he turned to look at the tattooed woman who most people called "the Psychotic Biotic". He was surprised, not only the smack on the butt, but the fact that Jack was out here, talking to him. Jack wasn't normally a friendly person and rarely came out of her cubbyhole except for meals or missions. As far as Garrus knew, Lia was the only one who routinely went down to the bowls of the ship to talk to Jack.

Garrus watched the elevator indicator, praying to anything that would listen to make it hurry. He spoke to Jack, without looking, "Hello Jack…nice to see you out of your cubbyhole for a change. You heading up to the mess?"

Jack grinned at him, "New, I'm going to see Zaeed…he wasn't just talkin, let me tell ya Birdman…he's got a hell of a staying power."

Garrus whimpered, he REALLY didn't want to hear that, or anything else. This day kept getting worse and worse. Then the elevator doors opened and he saw Samara and Thane, and thanked the Spirits that at least there were SOME rational people on the ship. They entered the elevator and Jack turned and grinned, "Hey Blue…hey Thane…you two heading up?"

Thane and Samara exchanged a look that Garrus had no idea what it was, he frowned, something still wasn't right. For lack of anything better to do, Garrus glanced at the buttons, frowning when he realized the button for the top floor wasn't pushed. He could have sworn he'd pressed it. Shrugging, he reached over and pushed the button once again, then turned back to look at Samara and Thane. "Did either of you go into Omega?"

Thane nodded, his voice gravely, but cool as he said, "Yes, we had to secure some supplies. I believe you remained on the ship?"

Garrus nodded, "I was calibrating the main weapons systems." There was silence in the elevator as it reached the main crew area and the doors opened. Garrus looked over at the buttons and frowned, he **knew** he's pushed the button for his quarters twice, but again it wasn't lit up. He pushed it again and watched it for a moment, until Jack shoved her shoulder against him .

Jack jostled Garrus with her shoulder and said, "So, Birdman….you gonna tell us how the Commander is in the sack?"

Garrus was startled, looking over at the grinning woman, then he looked back at the elevator doors, "No, Jack, I'm not." Jack laughed and even Thane and Samara seemed amused. The elevator doors remained open at the crew level and Garrus frowned, wondering what was going on. He glanced over at his fellow riders, and blinked, slowly. "Are any of you getting out here?" Thane and Samara shared a look.

Jack laughed and moved past them, "Hell ya….tell the Commander she owes me…." Garrus frowned, wondering what Jack was talking about, but then Samara cleared her throat.

Samara's voice was gentle as she said, "Are you heading up to your quarters, Officer?"

Garrus nodded, "Yeah, hopefully Shepard is off duty too, we met up for dinner, but she said she was expecting a delivery and had to install it. I was in the middle of some calibrations, so I went back to do that."

Thane and Samara stood next to him, all three stared at the open door. Thane cocked his head, raising his finger to his ear and nodded. Garrus frowned, was Thane wearing his communicator on the ship? Thane looked at Samara and nodded, and the two bid Garrus farewell and left the elevator. The elevator doors shut, and the car just sat. Garrus waited a few moment, then said,  
>"err, Edie? Is there a problem with the elevator?"<p>

Edie's voice sounded slightly waspish, "No, Officer Vakarian, but you have to push the button if you wish to go to a floor"

Garrus frowned, he **KNEW** he'd pushed the button. Sighing, he pushed it again, lowering his head and rolling his neck. He no longer cared…all he wanted was just to get to his quarters and forget this entire day. The elevator opened up on the Commander's quarters level and he stopped, surprised. It looked like a packaging company had exploded in the hallway. Garrus frowned, he thought he saw Turian writing on the box, but dismissed it. He walked to the door and it opened it, finding a sight that made him forget all the things that had happened.

Lia Shepard stood just inside the door to their quarters, the lights were low, soft music played in the background, and Garrus has to swallow as he realized she was wearing some sort of outfit that showed off her body to perfection. It was sheer, deep blue and not something he'd ever seen before. His eyes roamed over her body, mouth slightly agape, eyes traveling over her. The top area cupped her breasts, pushing them up and together, the fabric covering the nipples. He glanced at the center of her body, but felt his plates shift with just that look, so he dropped his eyes to her hips. The panties she wore matched the top, barely covering the center of her femininity. The side of the panties went up high on her hips, showing the smooth skin of her flanks and the long, slender legs. Her feet were clad in deep blue shoes, her toes showing through and the back of the shoes were heeled well above what she usually wore. Groaning, he slid his eyes up, seeing the way the sheer fabric over the center of her body caressed and exposed her waist, her flat stomach and ribs. His eyes traveled on up to her face and he was struck by the gentle smile and welcoming glint in her eyes.

Shepard watched the expression on Garrus face as he roamed over her. He finally go back to her face and she smiled, trying hard to keep the negative thoughts out of her head. Kasumi and done her hair and makeup and Miranda had come back from Omega with this outfit, including the shoes. She felt, if truth be told, silly standing there so exposed. Of course, honestly, she wasn't standing, she was leaning against the wall, since she was afraid to try and walk without falling. Garrus stood and looked at her and she felt her smile widened. Everything she'd gone through, all the doubting of herself was worth it to see that look in his eye. She said, "Hi, Garrus…welcome home…"

Garrus stepped forward, not quite sure what to do. He knew what he wanted to do, but she looked so beautiful. He said, "Lia…you look beautiful. I'm…I'm not sure what to do…"

Lia swallowed, "What do you want to do, Garrus?"

Garrus growled, his body vibrating as he stalked forward, "I want to pick you up and carry you to bed and take that delectable outfit off your body and bury myself inside you until neither of us can move…."

Lia laughed, delighted as Garrus came to a stop in front of her, growling as he raised a hand, using his talon to push some hair out of her face. Lia was struck again by how those talons that could rip a person to pieces, could be so gentle and loving with her. She tilted her head and rubbed her face against his hand, hearing his growl deepen and raise in volume. Looking up into Garrus eyes, she saw the desire, the possessiveness and it thrilled her. She was his, his mate, his love and he would kill for her. But she also saw the love and respect in his eyes, in the gentleness of his touch. He touched her almost with reverence, and that moved her almost as much as the possessiveness.

Lia smiled, and if Garrus hadn't already been fully aroused, that would have done it. Lia reached out a hand to caress his face, gasping as he nipped her finger in his lip plates, then licked it to soothe the pinch. "Then I guess you better do that, Garrus….because I'm not sure if I can walk that far in these heels…."

Garrus laughed sharply, but the humor was quickly dismissed. He was focused on her, on needing her, to possess her, to be possess by her. They were Bondmates and everything in his heart and soul pushed him to take her, to give her everything he had, to take her and make her his once more. Garrus saw her smile, the welcome in her face and his growl amped up even more as he stepped forward and scooped her up in his arms, gazing into her face, then lowering his face to her belly, his tongue caressing her through the gauzy covering, sliding from her belly button to her waist, moaning as he felt her muscle contract from pleasure. Words were gone for now, all he knew was need.

Garrus stepped down the stairs, his face still buried in her waist, her moan just caused him to growl louder. Around the corner toward the bed, and he looked up and froze, still holding his mate as he stared at the area where they're bed had been just that morning. Eyes wide, he turned his head to look at her. She had her lower lip in her mouth, biting it as she looked nervously at him. He glanced back at the bed area and saw the familiar outline of a Turian nest.

About the size of a human double bed, the Turian nest was about 3 foot high, built something like an above ground pool. The outside was solid, often padded and sometimes marked with the clan names or other information. The inside of the nest was a liner, usually some natural material with extra strength to resist being cut or torn. There were different support benches or cushions inside the to allow Turians to rest their feet on them protecting their spurs. A true Turian nest had little or no padding, but the interior was suspended from the frame, resembling a cross between a human hammock and above ground pool.

Garrus looked at her, then gently let her feet slide to the group, automatically catching her. He gazed into her eyes and saw the fear and questions. He used a talon to pull her lower lip from between her teeth and whispered, "Where…how did you…I'm confused, amica…"

Lia took a deep breath, "I know the bed wasn't very comfortable for you, Garrus…so I've been looking on the extranet for something else. You said that I wouldn't be comfortable in a traditional Turian nest…so…well, I found something else."

Garrus glanced over at the nest and realized it had a wide, apparently padded top on the edges. Placing her down on the edge, he knelt down, carefully trying to remove her shoe. Finally, he just slipped the strap off over her heel and tossed it behind him, repeating that with the other. Standing back up, he leaned in, between her legs and tilted his head, gazing down at her, "Why were you wearing those shoes if you couldn't walk in them?"

Lia laughed, surprised he'd actually heard that statement. She always thought he was concentrating on one thing and missed others, so it always surprised her when he heard pretty much everything she said. "Because they make my legs look longer and better and they go with this outfit. I wanted…I wanted to," she sighed, "I guess I wanted to impress you…make you think I was…pretty."

Garrus shook his head, lowering his head to rest his forehead against her, "Amica…you don't have to do anything to make me think you're pretty. I KNOW you're beautiful, it's obvious. And you don't have to do anything special to make me want you either…as long as I breath, I want you. Like I need air of food, I want you; I need you. Never think you have to do anything special for that, amica….it's there, as natural as breathing."

Lia smiled tremulously, bunting her head against his, she whispered, "So you don't want me to wear stuff like this anymore?", her hand took his and slid it down the outfit.

Garrus huffed, smiling, "Now I didn't say that, Lia…trust me when I say that if you want to show off, I'm perfectly happy to watch."

Lia laughed, and said, "Is the nest ok?" her hands were running gently over his body, from his fringe to his waist and back up

Garrus glanced over her shoulder and looked at the nest, "Where in the galaxy did you _**find**_ something like this?

Lia gave a self-depreciating shrug, "Would you believe in an issue of Fornax?"

"_**FORNAX**_?", Garrus exclaimed, shocked.

Lia laughed at his shock and said, "Yeah, I was looking at the ads," a disbelieving look from Garrus had her blushing, "when I was doing my own _research_ and I remember this article I saw on a company that specialized in creating sleeping arrangements for cross species liaisons."

Garrus shook his head, trying not to laugh as Lia blushed, but bravely pressed on.

Determined now to finish, Lia gazed at his left mandible as she said, "So when I realized you were having so many issues with the bed…I contacted them. They sent me a catalog with bedding specialized for human/Turian couples and I found this one. It's supposed to be very comfortable for the Turian, and supportive and comfortable for the human. And you'll be happy…the "Turian" side is closest to the door….."

Garrus threw back his head and laughed, "See, I told you…its fate!"

Lia laughed with him, then her smile changed and he saw the bit of insecurity and worry. He knew she never quite thought she deserved good things, and she had never knew how beautiful she really was. Garrus ran his hands down her arms, from her shoulders to her hands, bringing them up and rubbing his face against them, before sliding his hands further up to her face, cupping it and resting his forehead to her, nuzzling her gently before kissing her softly, using his tongue to tease her.

She arched into him and he smiled, leaning back as she whimpered, then his hands slid back down her face to her neck, her shoulders and down her arms to where her hands rested on her thighs. Gently caressing her thighs, as he stood between them, he slid his hands down past her knees, then back up on the inside of her thighs, as he kneeled down, where he was face to crotch with her. He heard her catch her breath and he smiled, she knew what he was going to do and he wanted it, she wanted him. He thought about removing her underwear, but a quick observation showed that he could simply move them to the side, exposing her body without removing them. He left the panties in place for now as he leaned forward, nuzzling her sex, his breath hot on her center. She gripped his fringe as she stroked it, moaning. He began to tease her body, studiously ignoring her clit, nuzzling and kissing her nether lips through her panties, causing her to gasp and writhe.

Garrus slid a finger into her, moving her panties aside for a bit, finding her soaking wet and ready for him. But he wasn't ready for that yet; instead he continued to nuzzle and stroke her center and inner thighs, using his tongue on her to bring her to the peak. Suddenly, the panties were in the way and he tugged at them, but she placed her hands on his and said, huskily, "There are ties on the side…" Grinning against her center, he reached up and grabbed the ties, one in each hand, pulling and the offending fabric fell away, leaving her pussy exposed to his hungry mouth. Finally able to reach her, he drew her clit into his mouth, pinching it gently with his lip plates, then backing off and then surging forward and applying his tongue to her clit strongly, rubbing her with his tongue, as she arched and gasped. He entered a finger into her, moving it in and out, slowly as he built the pressure inside her.

Lia arched backwards, her hands working his fringe and rubbing the soft, velvety area underneath it. Moaning, she whispered his name, "Garrus….god Garrus, that's so good….please…."

Garrus used every part of his face and hands to pleasure her. He pinched her gently with his mandibles, rubbed her with his tongue and pinched her softly with his lip plates as his finger slid in and out, torturing her. She arched backwards and the feel of his other arm wrapped around her hips, holding her safely against her so she couldn't fall. He kept up the torment, reveling in the feeling of her pleasure, each moan, gasp and grind against him made him feel better. Suddenly, she gasped, arching nearly off the edge of their nest, would have fallen backwards if he hadn't been holding her. She keened his name, her climax sending her into the twilight place, gasping.

As she came back to herself, she realized that Garrus was still kneeling between her thighs, his cheek resting on her thigh, watching her face as his finger continued moving in and out of or tunnel slowly. She reached down and stroked his fringe and heard him growl, but she smiled and said, her voice husky, "One of these days I'm going to return that favor, Garrus…."

Garrus smiled, he'd refused so far to allow her to catch his come in here mouth, fearful that she's have an allergic reaction. But rather than concentrating on that, she squeezed her thighs around him and said, "You want to break in this nest?"

A husky chuckle, still growling as he said, "yeah…definitely!" And stood up, catching her by the butt as he got half way up and finishing by standing, holding her against him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, her hands still busy on his fringe and he grinned, stepping over the edge and into the nest. As it was design, the nest gave to a certain extent, but the weight on one place allowed him to touch the ground, being steady as he held her. To his surprise, while the side closest to the door felt like a traditional nest, the other side had quite a bit of padding. He wasn't sure how it was going to work, but right now, the only thing in his mind was showing his mate how much this, and she, meant to him.

Laying her on the bottom of the best, her head resting on the small support at the top of the nest, he knelt between her thighs, his hands sliding over her waist, moaning as he felt her muscles contract under his talons. He sat back and stripped off his tunic, then sat between her thighs and removed his boots and pants, leaving him naked between her thighs. Before he could bend over to take her lips, Lia sat up, stripping off the top and then, her eyes locked on his, drew her hands over her breasts, her ribs, her waist (which made him moan) and then over her hip and thighs, traveling inside her thighs and then up to finger her pussy. Moaning, she let her head fall back, but kept her eyes on his and she fingered her clit. He watched, his dick twitching as he growled, and that growl turned into a moan as she writhed a little and he heard a hitch in her breath as she switched her tempo a little. He couldn't stand it any longer, he shoved her back, gently for all his hurry, and gripped her round ass, pulling her into position, before he sank his cock deep inside her.

Lia gasped, arching against him, her head falling back and her fingers clenching at his waist and fringe. She arched up to meet his thrusts and each time their bodies met, both gasped. Her legs wrapped around his waist then she shifted and braced her feet on the floor of the nest to give her more traction to meet his thrusts. He adjusted his thrusts so that the line of plates going down his lower abdomen rubbed against her clit, making her gasp and writhe. Her body was spasming around him, working him ever closer to his edge. She pulled his head toward her and nipped his ear as she whispered, "God Garrus….I love feeling you inside me. Being connected to you like this, feeling those plate rub on my clit, the power of your thrusts, it's like I never lived, I never came until I came with you. Your cock is so hard, it fills me so much, I can't help but come when I feel you inside me. I love you, my mate…my Bondmate…..my heart….."

Growling, unable to stop, Garrus began moving faster, harder. Each thrust, he felt his cock reach her depth, felt her clit twitch as his scales rubbed against it. Her words , especially when she called him her Bondmate, sent him past the limits he'd always set up on himself. He sank his teeth into her body, where her neck joined her shoulder, growling at her gasp. For just a split second, he worried he'd gone too far, but her heard her whisper, moaning, "God, yes! Please Garrus! Mark me….make me yours….TAKE ME"

Garrus began to piston into her, pounding himself deeper than he'd ever been inside her, harder than he'd ever fucked her. He felt her body pull from him at the beginning, then she began to arch to meet his thrusts, taking him even deeper. He kept his plates sliding over her clit, and part of him reveled in her climax each time she came, he knew how much she enjoyed it and he loved to make her feel good. His feet found purchase on a brace and he wrapped his toes around it, giving him better leverage, and he kept thrusting, hard and fast. She came again, writing beneath him, her feet on the bottom of their nest thrusting up to meet him, feeling their bodies slam together. She whimpered and he moaned.

Garrus felt his release coming up strong and his hands that had been stroking and caressing her body, her hair, her face moved to grip her waist, controlling her to some extent as he set her in the position that would bring both of them in the most fulfilling and hardest way possible. His forehead rested on the base of the nest, next to her , turning just slightly to slide his tongue around her ear, her jaw, her neck and anywhere else he could reach. Her own head rested next to his, nuzzling and nipping, letting him know how good this felt. His thrusts were becoming less rhythmic, the closer her came. She felt another climax coming up on her and she couldn't resist, nor did she try very hard, but rather turned her head into his throat and bit him, HARD. She tasted his blood in her mouth and released, as he made three final thrusts, rough and uncoordinated as the bite on his neck drove him over the edge and he gave one final, powerful thrust and released his seed deep within her, the base of his cock swelling up, filling her tunnel and he made a few more shallow thrusts which sent her over the edge yet again. Her tunnel spasmed around him, alternately tightening and releasing, which kept his orgasm going until he thought he was going to go insane.

Lia felt his cock hit her cervix and gasped, god it felt good. She went over the edge into an orgasm yet again and she just couldn't stop herself, she nuzzled into his neck and bit him, hard. She wanted to give him some minor return on the pleasure she was getting from his teeth locked onto her body, the tendon right where the neck met the shoulder. She knew she was bleeding, and had a momentary fear that he might have a reaction, but other than that, she didn't care. The feeling of his teeth in her flesh even as his cock drove her over the edge again and again. She bit him, as powerfully as she could and tasted his blood, but she had no time to think about anything else as he roared in her ear, the vibrations of that roar where his teeth were buried in her flesh added to the shallow thrusts that drove his plates across her clit sent her over the edge again.

The two lay, entwined, gasping and trying to catch their breaths; Garrus tried to keep his weight on his forearms and feet, but he knew that he was about to collapse. Not wanting to put his full weight on his mate, he wrapped his legs around hers, careful to avoid his spurs coming into contact with his mate's tender skin; then he wrapped his arm around her, holding her tightly against him and flipped them, so she was on top of him. He collapsed backward, gasping and still trying to catch his breath as she tried in vain to keep herself from putting her weight on him. She weighed nothing, but she never believed that. He turned his head and nuzzled her temple, distracting her. It worked and she turned her face toward him to nuzzle him back, kissing him afterward. His talons ran up and down her back from shoulder to butt, but when he opened his eyes, he cursed, "SPIRITS, Lia!" Lazily she raised her head, almost too tired to do so and saw the horror on his face. Confused, she looked around, trying to find the problem. Garrus stared in shock at something, then moved his hand to touch her shoulder, which was sore and she winced. When his hand came away, she saw rich, red human blood.

She shrugged, then winced when that hurt and said, reaching up her own hand his neck, "It's fine Garrus", she had to clear her throat, which made her smile, "see, I got you too…" she held up her hand to show him the blue blood on her hand.

Garrus shook his head, trying to move them so he could find the medigel and was reminded why a human bed had an advantage over a nest; in a bed, you could reach the night stand, with the medigel. Lying here in the nest, joined to his mate, getting up to the top of the best and down to the nightstand was going to be impossible. Garrus who had been purring, now growled with frustration. He heard a strange sound and looked down, Lia's face was buried in his chest, but her shoulders moved and he frowned, stopping his struggling, he reached down and lifted her chin to find her eyes watery, and tear tracks down her cheeks. His gizzard clenched, he's hurt her, damn it, he had KNOWN better than to get that rough…. She tried to move her face back down and he whispered, "I'm so sorry Lia…I…"

Lia shook her head, "I wanted this to be so perfect….and it was…and now you regret it…."

He stared at her, shocked and said, "What? I don't regret anything but hurting you, Lia….you're right, making love with you is so right…."

Lia glared at him a little, but she was still crying, "I hurt you too, Garrus…do you want me to regret that?"

"NO!" shocked, Garrus shook his head, "You know I love it when you bite me…"

"Well so do I! Why else would I beg you practically every time we make love to bite me, to mark me?"

Garrus looked unsure, nervous, "Human's don't like pain…"

Lia cursed, moving her upper body up as much as she could, while still connected to him, "Well this human does! Dammit Garrus…I love it when you mark me. Maybe I'm a…a freak… but I love it and every time you do this, I feel like there's something wrong with me…."

Shocked, Garrus lay back, pulling her with him, though she still leaned up enough to look into his face.

Lia shook her head, looking at him with such sadness that he felt his gizzard clench and his heart skip a beat, "Please Garrus…stop trying so hard to protect me. I love you, I love being with you and I love it when you mark me. If you go too far, I'm more than capable of defending myself. DO you think I'm too weak?  
>Garrus looked shocked, "Spirits NO….you're one of the strongest people I've ever met, no matter what species."<p>

Lia seemed slightly mollified, "Do you think I'm too pathetic to kick your ass?"

Garrus dismissed that without even thinking, "Hell no…you can kick anyone's ass, from Krogen to Reaper.

Lia looked at him, her eyes serious belying the fact that their bodies were still joined together, "Do you trust me?"

Garrus shook his head, a little hurt as he said, "How can you ask me that, Lia? Of course I trust you…I trust you with my life. I've followed you to hell, twice and I'll do so again."

Lia raised a hand to caress his face, leaning forward to nuzzle him, to which he responded without thinking about it. "Then trust me here, Garrus. If you're going to do more damage than I want, I'll stop you. But I love it when you mark me, and you are NOT hurting me…at least not any more than I want you to. Can you trust me that far, Garrus? Please?"

Garrus sighed, rubbing his face against her hand and squeezing her butt as he squirmed her closer to him. She moaned as he smiled and said, "I'm sorry, amica…I just don't want to hurt you…it, scares me that I might hurt you. Yes, I can't promise that I won't ever worry, but you're right; I trust you to do whatever is necessary to get the job done, but I'm so busy trying to protect you that I ruin what should have been a perfect night."

Lia reached up and nipped his mandible, her clever fingers tracing over his body boldly as she said, only half teasing, "Well…the nights not over yet, right? Though, I have to admit, you'll have to do something pretty spectacular to beat the last bit…."

Her grin, so bold and flirty, called an answering grin from him. He began running his hands up and down her body, using his talons lightly to tease her, making her gasp and hold her breath. "Weelll, I guess that I _might_ have something that I could do to make up for it…", he gripped her hips firmly and thrust, feeling his cock begin to grow hard once more.

Lia mewed and gasped and Garrus smiled as he whispered in her ear, knowing exactly what it did to her, "Do you know why a Turian's cock swells when he comes, amica?"

Swallowing hard, trying to focus when he was beginning to drive her made again, "Be…because…oh god, yes Garrus! Do that again! Because it keeps the sperm…oh god that feels good…in the female longer?"

Smiling and purring as he continued to thrust, rubbing his plates over her clit as his mandibles teased her and his talons caressed her while his tongue continued to drive her insane, "partly…but also because a female Turian in cycle can be that way for hours, and if a female is not bonded, she'll take almost any male. So once you get the female, you want to keep her…thus your cock swells, she can't choose anyone else because you don't let her go. Of course you _know_ what that means, right?"

Lia was focusing so closely on what he was _doing_ that she wasn't paying much attention to what he was _saying_. "Uhmmm?"

Garrus grinned, wrapping his arms around her, holding her to him by her ass and shoulders as he finished, "It means that a Turian can still rock your world without even needing to pull all the way out…the skin is loose enough that even stuck, we can still thrust….." and he flipped her over to prove his point.

Gasping, Lia felt herself rolled to her back and felt Garrus arch up, his tongue meeting her nipples, his plates rubbing decadently over her clit. She gasped as she felt him trust in her body, though the feeling of being filled never went away. She cried out as he used his tongue to flick her nipples, before working his way up to her face, stroking her lips with his tongue until she parted her lips and their tongues danced, he smiled against her as she gasped, the feeling of his cock thrusting into her even while he kept her filled up with his cock and the plates running across her clit was driving her insane. She writhed, moaning as his tongue began to run along her ear, dipping inside her ear and drawing her ear lobe into his mouth and nipping it, then laving it with his tongue. Between the feeling of his tongue and mouth and his plates across her clit and his cock inside her, she lost it, climaxing and crying her name. She moaned and writhed, arching toward him. Garrus smiled, he loved the feeling of her climaxing, her tunnel alternating between gripping him and loosening. But he knew that he didn't have much time before he found his own release again, so he simply nuzzled her, whispering, "Tell me what you want, Lia….what can I do to make you feel the best….."

Lia moaned, writing as she gasped, "mark me! Please!".

Garrus moaned, she might not know what she was asking, but Spirits he wanted to give her what she was asking for. So he nuzzled his face down to her shoulder, slightly away from the bite he'd done earlier and he nipped, but at her mew, he bit down, marking her as she ran her fingers over his fringe, the other fingers on his waist. She climaxed, and between her talented fingers, the spasming of her tunnel around him and her mouth working on his neck he buried his face in her hair and came, hard. "Spirits, Lia….."

A few moments passed as he fought to keep his weight off of her, but before he could move them, she wrapped her leg around him and her arms and rolled. She wasn't totally on top of him, though her lower body was and her head rested on his chest. Together, they tried to get their breath back. Garrus held her, purring, content to just lay there with her. He kicked his feet up on one of the supports and snuggled her. His move made her moan and gasp and he grinned. He pressed his forehead to hers, whispering, "Spirits I'm glad this day ended better than it started….

Together they lay there, relaxed as he purred and they fell asleep, held safe in each other's arms.

_**CHAPTER BREAK CHAPTER BREAK CHAPTER BREAK CHAPTER BREAK**_

The next day, Garrus showed her how to "make" a nest, which was remarkably unlike what she was used to. Garrus sat on the edge of the nest and grinned at her, "I'm still in awe that you found this…" Lia shrugged and continued putting her shoes on, she and Garrus were getting ready to go down to mess, and he seemed to have less to do to get ready than she did. Pulling a face, she winced as she moved her shoulder and Garrus sighed and caught her as started past and pulled her close to him, between his legs and reached over for the medigel. Lia chuckled,

"You already put some on that, Garrus…along with the lotion on the chaffing and washing my hair for me…", Lia chuckled, but leaned close to him, leaning up and placing a kiss on his chin as he applied the medigel to her shoulder.

Garrus put his forehead against her and nuzzled her, telling her, "So sue me…I want to make sure you're ok. You're pretty important to me, you know? Besides, I think you're one of the few females on this ship, including the AI who aren't insane…"

Lia looked confused, "huh?"

Garrus shook his head, frowning as he said, "Yesterday was just insane…I swear half the team and even Edie went insane. I hope to the Spirits that everyone is back to normal today."

Lia had a strange look on her face, as she said, "What do you mean, insane?"

Garrus shook his head, "Tali called me down for some mythical power fluctuation that she just forgot to record…then, when I told her she was acting strange, she THROWS herself into my arms and tells me how much she missed me. When I finally got her down, she jumped all over me about my attitude. Then the door to Engineering is locked and when I told Edie to open it, she got nasty….and then Jack comes out and starts a conversation…and somehow the button on the elevator got unpushed…." Garrus trailed off, narrowing his eyes at the increasingly guilty look on Lia's face. Lia started to pull away, but Garrus caught her, catching her between his legs and loosely looping his arms around her back as he gazed down at her with a look that had made hardened criminals confess.

Lia looked to the left, but found her chin being caught between thumb and talon and raised up so she was looking into her mate's narrowed eyes, he said nothing, but she shifted nervously until she finally said, "Ok…fine….I asked Tali and the team to keep you distracted and away from here so we could get everything ready."

Garrus' eyes widened and he said, surprised, "YOU made Tali throw herself at me?"

Lia shook her head, "No, of course not…she was just supposed to keep you busy down in engineering. Throwing herself at you must have been something she came up with on her own…were you being difficult?"

Garrus snorted, "Of course I wasn't, I just didn't think that an Engineer as talented as Tali would _forget_ to record variations in power fluctuations… Who all else was involved in this?"

Lia looked guiltily at the wall, the nest, the couch, pretty much anywhere except Garrus. Garrus sighed, "You might as well me, amica…"

Lia sighed, "Tali was supposed to keep you busy…Thane and Samara helped me get the nest box up here to the cabin, Zaeed and Jacob took apart the old bed and got it out of here… Edie was trying to help Tali keep you occupied and when that didn't work, Jack came out to help. Mordin helped me get the Nest frame put together and Miranda bought the outfit and Kasumi did my hair and make-up." Lia looked down, obviously nervous of his reaction.

Garrus had to admit, his first thought was that it would have been nice not to be out of the loop. But, then he remembered Lia standing there, leaning against the post wearing that beautiful outfit and the joy of the Nest that made both he and his mate happy. Shaking his head, he captured her chin and raised her face once more, looking deeply into her eyes, lowering his forehead to rest on his mates. He gazed deeply into her eyes, holding her close to him as he said, gently, "Remind me to thank them, amica…."

Lia smiled tremulously and hugged him around the waist, nuzzling his mandible. "Thank you, Garrus….  
>Garrus grinned and said, "Well…I DID get a very nice present out of it….<p> 


	10. Scene 8

"One less to worry about!", Garrus' jovial voice sounded over the coms and Shepard grinned.

She glanced behind and above them where Garrus was laying, sniping the husks around her. She popped the heatsink from her own rifle and loaded another, before peeking up over her barricade where she was crouched. Another wave was heading for them and with a grin, she stood up and began picking them off, as Garrus took care of the ones further out.

Across the way a bit, Thane knelt behind his own barricade and fired into the group of husks, occasionally exclaiming, "Go to the sea…" Suddenly, as Shepard was looking in on her team mates, several husks managed to get around her barricade and attacked her. She beat them off, laughing as she shot one and took the head off another.

Garrus' voice came over the com, no longer joking, "Praetorian at twelve o'clock, Shepard…"

Shepard cursed, she hated these damn things, and she was getting a little low on Ammo. She glanced over and saw the Praetorian was about 40 feet away and within about 10 feet of her were several clips. She darted out and began gathering the clips, reloading her gun as she went all the while listening to Garrus.

Garrus saw Shepard dart out in the path of the Praetorian and begin to pick up clips and he cursed. "Shepard, the Praetorian is on its way to you….you think maybe you might **GET THE FUCK BEHIND COVER**?" He watched through his scope as she turned to glance at him and he could imagine the grin on her face.

"Siha, perhaps retreating to cover might be a good idea…..", even Thane sounded concerned as he took aim and fired at the Praetorian before darting to a different cover trying to draw it away from Shepard. Garrus seconded that silently, but kept firing, the damn thing just wouldn't go down.

Shepard heard her team, but she was determined to grab the ammo, though she did keep a careful eye on where the Praetorian was. She caught Thane's darting to a different cover, but the Praetorian seemed focused on her. Measuring the distance and figuring the ammo and the thing's shields. Grinning, she turned and began firing into the thing, ignoring the cover, just walking forward, blasting away.

Garrus saw her start to walk toward the Praetorian, firing her weapon over and over, pausing only to pop the heat sink and reload, then starting again, "Spirits, Shepard…if you live through this, I'm going to **KILL** you!" he shouted into the com, before standing up and firing into the Praetorian's face as quickly as his sniper rifle would allow. He vaguely heard a curse and out of the corner of his eye he saw Thane stand and begin doing the same thing, firing over and over into the Praetorian. Just as the thing got within arm's reach of her, it keeled over, falling toward her. Garrus heard her laughter over the com as she threw herself to the ground and rolled to the side, barely escaping before the behemoth landed on her. Garrus leapt over the boulder he'd taken cover behind and hurried down the hill, cursing and getting more angry the closer he got. Thane had come from cover as well and was glancing around, keeping an eye for more husks. Shepard was scurrying around the area looking for anything she could get her hands on.

By the time he'd gotten to the flat area where the battle had taken place Garrus had built up quite a head of steam. Stalking over to Shepard, he stopped just behind her and snapped, "Commander, in the future if you intend to try and get yourself killed, at least give me the heads up so I can strap a bomb to your six…you can run in and attack like a caveman and take out the enemy and kill yourself in one move."

Shepard had stood up when she'd heard Garrus start to speak, now she stared, wide eyed at the Turian, who snarled out his statement and then turned on his heel and stalked toward the shuttle. She blinked slowly, surprised by the venom in his voice and his actions. As Garrus stalked off, he snapped his rifle closed and set it on his back as he went, not looking back. Carefully, she glanced over at Thane, who stood with an inscrutable expression on his face, before he turned and followed Garrus toward the shuttle.

Shepard frowned, she had figured that Garrus would be a little upset, but the fury in his voice was unexpected. She was half convinced that Garrus was over-reacting because of their personal relationship, but the look on Thanes face made her wonder. Despite the calm, inscrutable expression, she'd seen the irritation in his face . Biting her lip, she frowned, then picked up the small crate that had been their entire reason for coming here The crate contained a collection of religion artifacts for a Salarian religious group who had wanted it back badly enough to offer quite a bit of money for it. Getting on the com, she called Joker, who answered immediately, "Joker, the landing zone is secured…get a team down here and get the rest of these crate…I've got the Salarian artifacts."

"Roger that, Commander…soon as you get back up here, they'll be ready to go. Everything ok, commander?", even Joker's voice sounded concerned.

Sighing, Shepard said, beginning to trudge to the shuttle, "I hope so, Joker…but I'll have to get back to you on that."

_**CHAPTER BREAK CHAPTER BREAK CHAPTER BREAK CHAPTER BREAK**_

The ride back to the Normandy was very quiet, the only sound in the shuttle was the engine and the occasional word from the pilot. Shepard tried to start a conversation, but Thane responded in single word answers and Garrus said nothing outside the occasional grunt. Shepard did notice that there was a low, deep growl coming from Garrus, but he wouldn't even look at her. Once back at the Normandy, both Garrus and Thane exited the shuttle first, leaving the Commander to follow more slowly. Kaiden was there with Mordin, and both watched the situation, Mordin started to speak, but Shepard thrust the box with the artifacts into his hands and said, "Take care of the artifact, Mordin."

Kaiden frowned, "Are you ok, Shepard?"

Shepard headed out of the shuttle bay, nodding to Kaiden as she said, "Of course…talk to you later."

Shepard entered the elevator, leaning back against the wall as the door closed. Sighing, she said, "Edie, what is the location of Officer Vakarian?"

"Officer Vakarian is currently in the quarters you share, Commander"

Shepard slumped a little, that was a good sign, she thought. She'd been afraid he'd been so angry he would have gone back to the Main Battery. Sighing, she said, "Thanks Edie" and triggered the elevator for her cabin.

"Of course Shepard, logging you out."

Shep rubbed her neck, rolling it to get some of the kinks out. As the elevator got to her floor, she exited, then hesitated in front of her cabin. She realized she was nervous; she and Garrus had argued before, but not since they'd moved their relationship to the next level. Most of her previous relationships barely met the requirements of that term; most were fellow soldiers who she had spent time with between trips. Her longest relationship had lasted a year, but they'd only been together for about 3 weeks tops during that year. The other side of that coin was she'd never really _cared_ before if arguing would ruin something; none of her previous relationships had meant as much to her as this one.

Shepard rolled her shoulders and stood up straighter, she'd never been shy about confronting Garrus when they were arguing before, when they had been just friend, and she wasn't going to start now. At least that was the pep talk she gave herself that got her through the door. The first thing she noticed walking into her quarters was that Garrus' armor was stacked in the floor, not so neatly. The next was that the shower was running. She got out of her own armor, stacking it beside Garrus for now; you never put armor away until you'd cleaned it. Armor protected you, it paid to keep it in good shape.

Shepard knew she was procrastinating, so she forced herself to enter the bathroom, wearing only her tight under armor suit. She saw Garrus own suit laying on the toilet and looked at the shower through the steam. Garrus never looked her way, just said, "I'll be out in a minute, then you can have the shower."

Shepard frowned, that was NOT a good sign. Normally, Garrus would simply offer to share the shower with her. Sure enough, she watched as he palmed the shower control off and reached for a towel, quickly drying his body as she watched.

Garrus knew she was upset from the way she stood, biting her lower lip and not saying anything. But while his anger had cooled a bit, he was still angry and needed some time to cool off. He turned off the shower, grabbed a towel as she just stood there and watched him. Even angry with her, Garrus love watching her, clad only in her underwear and tight under armor suit that showed off her body fully, she was beautiful. He finished drying off and threw the towel at the laundry chute, and began to leave the bathroom, but he couldn't resist saying, "Enjoy the show, Shepard? Shower's all yours…"

Shepard started, blushing when she realized she'd been staring at him. She started to speak and had to stop and clear her throat before she could get the words out. "Where are you going?"

Garrus paused as he was about to slide past her, narrowing his eyes. His mate's emotions were never easy to read unless she was really lost in them. He knew that he was probably one of the few people who ever got to see beneath her calm, cool exterior mask. And he'd been one of those few for years, well before they'd become lovers. He watched as she chewed her lip, it was going to bleed if she kept it up. He reached out and gently extracted it from her teeth with his talon, and said, "I need to check the main battery". He wasn't prepared to see her whole body change; her head moved back sharply, her eyes blinked furiously and she swallowed hard, then said, her voice not nearly as strong as it usually was,

"Ok.."

She lowered her head, her hair was escaping from the bun she usually wore it in and fell in wisps around her face as she gazed at the floor. He turned and walked out of the bathroom, he knew she was upset, but he wasn't entirely sure why. As far as he was aware, _**HE**_ was the one who she'd nearly scared the gizzard out of…running into that Praetorian like that. His anger flared back up and he marched to his quarters, grabbing clothes and putting them on along with the boots he wore aboard ship. He headed for the door and realized she was standing in the bathroom doorway, watching him with that strange, almost empty expression in her face. He'd seen it before, but as angry as he was, he couldn't remember when. She was chewing her lower lip again and he snapped as he started up the stairs, "You should take a shower, Shepard"

"Are you saying I stink?". She looked up, some odd light in her eyes.

"Yes…and quit chewing on your lip, you're going to make yourself bleed" And he stalked out the door and over to the elevator. Lia felt as though he's slapped her, but she couldn't help but move to the door and watch him get in the elevator; he never even looked back.

Shepard turned and trudged into their bathroom, stripping off and entering the shower. She washed the grime off her body and washed her hair, fighting to keep herself calm. Eventually, she began to cry, leaning her forehead against the wall, sobbing. She realized that she'd gotten used to having Garrus there when she fell apart, holding her and stroking her hair. Even before they'd been mates, Garrus had been there for her, helping her stay calm and cool, Commander Shepard, in public, and there for her when she needed to be human. Now she stood in the shower alone, weeping because she didn't know what else to do. Fighting Reapers, Collectors, Rouge Spectre, Batarian Pirates, that was easy; relationships, those were difficult.

Eventually she left the shower, dressed and stood looking in the mirror. She really needed a haircut. She'd been putting it off, but it was beginning to get to the point where it got in her way. As Alliance military, she was used to cutting her own hair, keeping it short enough to manage in uniform and armor. If she was honest, she'd admit that part of her hesitation to cut her hair was because Garrus loved to play with it. Part of her seriously considered taking the scissors to her hair, but she decided to put it off until she wasn't so upset. Putting on her uniform, she splashed some cold water on her face to try and minimize the damage from an hour of bawling and headed out the door.

Garrus leaned back against the elevator, sighing. His anger had cooled considerably in the last nine hours; and he could even see some humor in it now. It wasn't like Shepard running into the fray was unusual and even beyond that, she had most likely known exactly where she was in relation to the Praetorian. Sighing, Garrus rubbed his neck, twisting his head, he'd intended to come back up here and talk to Shepard much earlier, but once he'd gotten to the Main Battery he'd found that one of the repairs that had been done while they'd been down on the planet had taken the Thanxx cannon completely offline. It had taken nearly nine hours to get things straightened out and working right. He was tired, sore and grimy from crawling in and out of access panels and all he wanted was a hot shower and to crawl into his nest with his mate.

He reached the cabin area and entered into the cabin being as quiet as possible. He went down into the sleeping area and looked into the nest, expecting to see his mate there. But the nest was empty and just the same as it had been the last time he'd saw it. Garrus frowned, looked over at the couch, thinking she might have fallen asleep there, perhaps waiting for him. Not finding her, he then checked the bathroom, but still no Shepard. He turned on the lights and checked around for a note or something, but again, there was nothing. Other than their combined armor sitting on the floor waiting for them to clean them, the cabin was just the same as always.

Finally, Garrus said, "Edie, where is Commander Shepard?"

Edie's voice was cool, and Garrus could have sworn there was a measure of censure in it, "Commander Shepard is not in the ship currently".

Garrus started, they were not in orbit around any planet, so where in the Spirits could she be? Had she taken a shuttle somewhere? Garrus frowned, "Edie, what do you mean Shepard is not in the ship?"

Edie's voice DEFINITELY carried a note of censure, Garrus decided as she said, "That usually means that Commander Shepard is not in the ship, Officer Vakarian."

Garrus threw the ceiling a dirty look, then said, "I'm aware of what the words mean, Edie, I'm asking where exactly Shepard is. Did she take a shuttle somewhere?"

"No, Officer Vakarian"

"Then where the hell is she, Edie?", Garrus was getting frustrated and while he knew that snapping at Edie wasn't going to do anything, he couldn't help it. He was tired, irritated and now worried about his mate.

"Commander Shepard is currently outside the Airlock near the cockpit"

Garrus shook his head, he wasn't sure he heard that correctly, so he asked, "Edie, did you say she's _**OUTSIDE**_ the airlock?"

Edie's voice held reproach, Garrus would have sworn, "That is correct, Officer Vakarian…Commander Shepard is working on an access panel outside the ship near the cockpit"

Garrus cursed, "Spirits! Edie, tell me she's not out there alone….", Garrus was already heading out of the cabin to the elevator

"She is not out there alone, Officer Vakarian"

Garrus paused waiting for the elevator, sighing in relief, "Who is with her, Edie?"

Edie's voice was quiet, "There is no one with her, Officer Vakarian"

"WHAT? Edie you just told me that she wasn't out there alone….", Garrus was shocked and scared. Ever since the destruction of the first Normandy, when Shepard had _died_ she'd hated EVACing, being outside in space made her nervous, something he could very much understand.

Edie's voice came again as Garrus entered the elevator, "You told me to tell you that Commander Shepard wasn't "out there alone", I did as you requested."

"Damn it Edie, that wasn't…..Spirits, never mind. What's she doing out there?"

"I believe she is working on one of the navigation systems that was damaged in the attack". Then Edie's voice seemed to becomes more personable as she said, "I have been monitoring Commander Shepard's vital signs at Doctors Mordin and Chakwas's behest; her heart rate and breathing are both severely elevated, I have asked if she needs assistance, but she has thus far refused."

Garrus growled, "Damn her stubborn…", as the elevator opened into the CIC, Garrus headed through, not bothering to say anything to the late night crew. He reached the airlock and glanced in, seeing Joker sitting in his chair, nervously fidgeting with his controls. He glanced over and saw Garrus and sighed in relief,

"Thank god! I told her that we could wait to work on that once we got to our next stop, I can manually set the auto pilot if I need to, but she insisted on going out there, alone…."

Garrus growled and nodded at the pilot, entering the airlock and beginning to suit up. He got the EVAC suit on and added magnetic boots, then took the extra few seconds to check the suit and seals. It wouldn't do to space himself because he was in a hurry to get to Shepard.

Garrus stepped outside the airlock and secured his umbilicus to the metal slides that ran around the outside of the Normandy and secured his magnetic boots to the ship as he began to make his way to the small form working on the nose of the ship. He walked close enough to see she was working with an arc welder, so he stopped a good distance away and used the com to speak to her, "Shepard…"

So intent was Shepard on the repair she was working on as well as forcing herself not to freak out. Her breath was loud in her ears, and she could feel her heart racing, no matter how much she tried to stop it. Despite the loud breathing, she kept feeling she was suffocating and she refused to look up, instead, she stared at the hull of the Normandy where she was working. When she heard Garrus quiet voice in her ear, she carefully turned off the arc welder and half turned, only to gasp and grab at the umbilicus as she felt herself lose her seat on the hull.

Garrus heard her gasp and reached out, his long arms barely able to grab her shoulder, keeping her balanced. He looked into her helmet and saw her eyes un-naturally wide, he spoke, "It's ok, amica…it's ok. You're fine…your oxygen is fine, you're secured to the ship….just breath." Garrus had both hands on her shoulders, gazing at her. He saw her blink inside the helmet, then half close her eyes and draw a deep breath, before she looked at him again. He was happy to see her eyes were less wild and terrified and more contained. She nodded, then looked down, taking another deep breath, before sitting back down and continuing to fix the wires. Garrus switched his umbilicus to the other slide and knelt down, "How much more do you need here?"

When Shepard spoke over the com, her voice was shaking a little, "Just this connection and the one on that side….I've gotten the main connection set up, but there were several other half and full breaks…these are the last two."

Garrus nodded and bent over, slowly working his hands down the wires, looking for the breaks, finding one, he used the tool beside Shepard to strip and splice the wires, and when she was done, held his hand out for the arc welder. She handed it over after hesitating and he went to work on the last connection. It didn't take him long, probably because he wasn't on the verge of panic and passing out the entire time. He turned off the welder and stood, checking his umbilicus automatically and putting the tools in the tool box that had its own umbilicus line.

Garrus stood and offered his hand to Shepard who took it and allowed him to help her up, together they made their way toward the airlock.

_**CHAPTER BREAK CHAPTER BREAK CHAPTER BREAK CHAPTER BREAK**_

Once back inside the airlock, Shepard leaned against the bulkhead as the airlock repreassureized. Once it was safe, Garrus and Shepard got out of the EVAC suites and Shepard secured they tool box, after refilling it. Garrus stood and watched her, not saying anything as he took in her sweat soaked hair and uniform. She looked like she'd been swimming instead of in a dry EVAC suit outside the ship. She looked up and caught him watching her and gave him a wan smile, "I'll bet I smell even worse now, huh?"

Garrus widened his mandibles a bit and quipped, "Let's just say that I suggest you shower before you try and go in the elevator with anyone but me…"

"Wow, Commander….you REALLY stink…I can smell you all the way out here…", Joker's voice called from the cockpit, and Shepard called back

"Watch it, Joker…or next time I'll make YOU crawl under the panels to fix your station…"

Joker muttered something, but Shepard and Garrus walked off, heading for the elevator. Trying to keep the mood light, Shepard quipped, "You want me to ride up alone so I don't offend your nose?"

Garrus was still watching her, widened his mandibles a bit and said, "I'll take my chances…right now I'd walk through a Krogan camp without armor just to get to our nest…."

Another tremulous smile and Shepard and Garrus got in the elevator as Shepard said, "Did you get the cannon fixed?"

Garrus nodded, leaning against the elevator wall, still watching her. Shepard nodded, "Good…what was wrong with it?" She had half thought that was an excuse to stay away from her, so she was slightly surprised when Garrus actually told her,

Garrus shook his head, frowning, "When they fixed one of the other systems they actually bypassed the cannon's safety feature which took it offline. I couldn't get it back online until the I found the bypass and re-did it. I managed to get both the systems and the Cannon online and working together, but it was a… what is that word you use for huge messes that nothing goes right in?"

Shepard frowned, "A clusterfuck?"

Garrus nodded, sighing, "Yeah, it was a clusterfuck. Good word for it."

They reached the loft and exited the elevator and Garrus said, "Why were you EVACing all alone, Shepard? I know there are rules against that…"

Shepard nodded, "I had Joker watching my six…and there wasn't anyone else available. The Autopilot needed to be fixed." She began to strip off her clothes, looked at Garrus and headed for the bathroom before removing more than her shirt. Garrus frowned, but followed her,

"Joker might have been watching your six, but if something had happened, he couldn't have gotten to you quickly enough to do any good…you should have waited until someone could have been out there with you."

"No"

Garrus shook his head at her quiet but authoritive tone. That was Commander Shepard making a final statement. He gazed at her as she finished stripping and turned to the shower. "What do you mean _**no**_?" He made a decision and began to strip his own clothes as she adjusted the water.

Without looking around she said, shrugging, "Just what I said…no. No one is allowed out with me." She didn't look over at him, just stepped under the spray of the shower, bending forward to let the water hit her head and run down her back.

Garrus hestitated, then finished stripping and stepped behind her, she started, but didn't object so he reached up and began to massage her head and wet hair. She sighed as he reached over and picked up the shampoo and squirted some in his hands, rubbing it into her wet hair, massaging her scalp as he did so. She sighed and leaned against the wall, eyes closed, letting him wash her hair.

Quietly he turned her around, pulling her forward and leaning her head backward to wash the soap out of her hair. She never said a word, just sighed and soaked up the comfort of his touch. He reached for the soap and began to wash her body, and her eyes opened, watching him. He ran the soap over her, washing away the sweat that had becomes sticky on her skin. She looked up at him and her eyes were open, she swallowed hard and said, "Are we, ok?" She leaned forward, resting her palms on his chest, looking up at him and the expression on her face was like a punch in the gut.

Gently, he lowered his forehead and touched hers, sighing as he moved his hands to rest on the swell of her hips. He had no idea how long they stood like that, just being together but finally he said, "We're fine, amica…we'll always be fine. Even when I want to wring that pretty little neck of yours, we'll be fine."

She smiled a little and said, "Even when you're being an insubordinant, stubborn dick, we're fine?"

Garrus chuckled, quipping, "Ha…that's why you love me…."

Pretending to be serious, she slid her hands to his shoulders, shaking her head and looking at him seriously, though her eyes were laughing, "No no no, Garrus….I said I loved you FOR your dick, not because you WERE a dick…."

Garrus threw back his head and laughed, feeling the tension leaving him as he teased his mate, "You wouldn't want me any other way, Lia…admit it…."

Shepard shook her head, "You're right…I love you just as you are Garrus…arrogant, egotistical, insubordinate, annoying…everything you are, I love. I wouldn't change a thing…."

Garrus smiled and rested his forehead on his mates again, "Yeah, I feel the same way, amica…."

Together they stepped out of the shower and dried each other off before walking to their nest, hand in hand. Lia crawled in first, stretching against the padding and support materials on her "side" as Garrus arranged himself, his feet on the "perches" (as Lea called them) and settled in the support of the lining. Once he was settled, he opened his arms and she slipped in, still on her side, but cuddled close to her mate. He nuzzled her hair and his talons stroked up and down her back as she rubbed her cheek against his chest and her foot ran up and down his leg, playing lightly with his spur. Quietly, he said, "Lia…why do you EVAC? I know it terrifies you…"

There was silence for several long moments and Garrus thought maybe she'd fallen asleep, until she said, softly, "Because it terrifies me."

Garrus considered that for a moment, then said, "You do it because it terrifies you, so you will get used to it?" He felt his mate shake her head against him,

Lia sighed, she hated psychology and she especially hated trying to explain her own, "Not exactly…I don't think I'll ever be out there and NOT think about…well about dying. ", Garrus arms clenched around her without him even trying, "but if I don't do it, then when I have to, I won't be able to. If I give in to the fear, then what happens if someone need me to EVAC? I'll be so afraid I won't be able to do what I need to do in time"

Garrus shook his head, "Yes you will…Lia, you're the strongest woman I've ever met…if someone needs you, you'll be there no matter how scared you are…just because they need you."

Lia chuckled, "You have more faith in me than I do in myself, Garrus…"

Garrus hugged her close, "usually…"


	11. Scene 8a

"You know, Shepard… we could have been on Illium by now… having a drink, relaxing…."

Shepard popped the heat sink from her assault rifle and glanced back over her shoulder in the direction she knew Garrus was, grinning, she said,

"Oh come **ON**, this is _fun_"

A snort to her left had her glancing at Zaeed, who shook his head from where he was crouched behind cover, firing at the husks that appeared over the hill. The flow had lessoned considerably, but there were still a few stragglers. Shepard made a face, "Seriously guys! Come on! Garrus… you _know_ you love to snipe!"

Garrus flanged voice, filled with genuine amusement and mock irritation came over the com, "Yes, Shepard… but even sniping gets tedious after a while when there are 500 husks coming at us…."

"Duck, Siha", Thane voice was, as ever, calm and rational and Shepard automatically ducked as a projectile zoomed over her head and took out the pair of husks that had been coming up from her blind side.

Standing back up and shaking her head, her voice filled with mock sadness, "Stop exaggerating, there were nowhere near 500! You guys just aren't seeing the whole picture! I mean, look… I've two of the best damn snipers in the galaxy at my back…Tali and Zaeed on close up work… and Samara and Liara…" there was a pause, and then Shepard's voice came back on, this time musingly, "Samara and Liara… is this some sort of asari thing?" A pregnant pause in which both of the asari in question turned to glare at the human, then Shepard shrugged and went on, "Anyway... Samara and Liara pulling biotics… this is like family BONDING time! All we're missing is a couple of Brutes!"

Just as the words cleared her lips a familiar roar came from beyond the hill and everyone seemed to hold their breath. As they watched the hill, a pair of Brutes lumbered over the crest and started toward them… followed by another pair. Shepard couldn't see her entire team, but she felt their eyes on her, their ire nearly palatable. Glancing around, she glanced around all she could say was, "Ooops…"

The final Brute, along with yet another wave of husks fell and Shepard stood up, rolling her shoulder. That had, in fact, been brutal, pun intended. A total of six Brutes and who knows how many husks. Her team stood up slowly, carefully looking around them, making sure they were in the clear. Slowly, Garrus said, "All clear from here… Thane?"

"Clear, as well…."

Shepard pulled her helmet off, shaking her head, "Damn… that sucked. Everyone ok?"

Samara, her voice as calm as a placid lake, said, "I believe we are well, Shepard… however, I humbly request that if you open your mouth once more giving the Universe ideas, someone put something in it."

Shepard blinked at the ancient asari, frowning, but before she could reply, they were joined by Thane and Garrus and Thane spoke, his voice calm as ever but with a current of humor, "I believe that would be Garrus' job…."

Eyes wide, Shepard glanced at the Drell as he placed his sniper rifle on his back and observed her calmly, she glanced at Garrus to find him grinning in his unique turian way as he said, "I knew there were perks to being on this team…."

Shepard made a face, "Ok… so I won't say anything about Ban…."

Almost immediately, six weapons were trained on her, and six sets of eyes glared at her, daring her to finish that statement. Eyes wide, she finished the word and the thought, "…dying words about… sheesh! Come on guys! We've got a mission to finish…."

Turning, she began to jog in the direction of the tower they were supposed to check out, grinning, knowing that her team was at her back… and they wouldn't REALLY have shot her… At least; she hoped they wouldn't have.

_**CHAPTER BREAK**_

"Come on, Tali… come on…"Shepard's foot tapped as she listened to the sounds of husks approaching.

"Shepard… they're almost to you… maybe getting into cover would be a good idea…." Garrus' voice was no longer amused, but tense and worried.

Shepard frowned, "As soon as Tali gets the information downloaded, you bet your sweet bippie we'll hit cover, Garrus… can't move until she's done…."

"Shepard, go to cover, I'll be fine, I have my shot gun if I need it and I'll follow you as soon as this finishes."

Shepard snorted, "Not happening, Tali… how much longer?"

"It's working, Shepard… but it's old and not very compatible with my equipment, so I had to overcome the compatibility issues and…."

Shepard waived a hand at her, "You can explain it later… for now, how long?"

"At least two minutes."

Curses filled their com units; the rest of her team was arranged in the tree-line, waiting with guns trained on the spot that would soon be occupied by the enemy. Shepard and Tali, on the other hand, stood at a tall, willow like structure that had once been a communication unit. There was nothing within 100 feet of them behind which to take cover… they were as exposed as they could be. Shepard sighed, "Well… HELL. Fine, everyone get ready, keep as many of them off us as you can. BUT STAY IN COVER… nobody needs to play hero, got it? Tali and I will take the stragglers that get past you…."

Zaeed's deep voice was concerned, "Let me come out there Shepard… I'm better up close and I can help protect Tali and you while she works on the bloody machine…"

Shepard shook her head, "Negative, Zaeed… stay behind cover. That's an order for ALL of you."

Tali's hands fairly flew over the pad, working as fast as possible, and Shepard alternated between watching her and gazing at the direction where the husks were most likely to come from. As the first of the husks appeared over the hill, running with their unique, bouncing style, Shepard stood in front of Tali and took aim, bringing down as many of them as she could. "Faster would be better, Tali…."

"GOT IT!" yelled Tali, just as two husks attacked and Tali drew her shotgun and shot them as she closed her omni tool. Shepard was shooting as quickly as she could with her Mattock, popping used heat sinks and reloading rapidly. The rest of the team dropped as many as possible, but there were just so many coming at them. Tali and Shepard began to backing toward their teams as a Banshee appeared from the trees across the way. Cursing, Shepard said, "Thane, Garrus take her down when she moves…."

"On it, Shepard…."

"Yes, Siha…."

As Shepard and Tali made their way back to their team, Zaeed cursed, "Where the bloody hell are they coming from… there must be a thousand of the bloody things…."

Shepard and Tali reached their teammates and Shepard snapped, never stopping her shooting, "Fall back to the landing zone… NOW! Move...move…." Garrus and Thane fell back first, keeping their distance to snipe. Zaeed and the two asari women filled in as they all covered Shepard and Tali's retreat.

"Cortez… we're coming in hot… be ready."

"Roger that, Commander... ready for you.

Six husks got a little close as Shepard shoved Tali behind her and she flung her gun over her shoulder and just attacked then with her omni blade. As she and Tali made their way back toward the rest of the team, several of the husks rose into the air, being slammed together and dropped, or shot. The lead husks fell backwards, both with bullets in their foreheads. Garrus and Thane at their best.

As they reached the woods, Garrus rose up sending three more husks down as Thane joined him. Shepard called, "Cortez… time to go…."

The sound of the shuttle was loud and Shepard yelled, "Onboard everyone… .Garrus, Thane… go first and keep sniping…."

A few seconds later, Garrus' flanged voice in her ear said, "Come on, Shepard…." Taking one final spree at the husks, Shepard turned and threw herself at the shuttle as her team gave her covering fire. The shuttle rose into the air and everyone took a seat, Shepard grinned,

"Well…that was FUN!"

Groans and glares were her only response.

_**CHAPTER BREAK**_

Liara sighed, obviously un-amused by the current situation. They'd gone to the planet, saved the fuel reactors and restarted them, destroyed the Marauders and husks that were lurking in that building and saving Captain Riley and her group. The worst part had been the "green fog;" a radioactive chemical that meant instant death at the first breath. Unbidden, the situation with Garrus and the Chili came to mind, but she managed to maintain a proper amount of decorum; no way was she going to remind him of that incident. Hiding her smile, she leaned back against the bulkhead and watched as Garrus sat across from her and Liara saw next to her. Liara glanced at her and asked, frowning, "Shepard? What's funny?"

Shepard shook her head, glancing at Garrus and said trying to keep a straight face, "Nothing Liara… just thinking of something. That was interesting… but I'm glad the mission is over."

Liara nodded, "Yes, now this theatre will have fuel. We can't allow anything to hold us back from defending our homes…."

Glancing at Garrus, who frowned and shook his head, Shepard continued, "I know Liara… but we can only move so fast… we're not going to get out of here without losses…."

Frowning, Liara said, "I know that, Shepard… but we can't keep holding back, waiting… we have to find the Catalyst."

Shaking her head, "We're doing what we can, Liara…" she tried to be firm, as the shuttle landed, but Liara just stood and shook her head,

"It doesn't seem like it, Shepard… it seems like you're scared. I know it's tough, and I know there will be… losses. But we can't keep holding back and waiting… we have to get things moving."

Garrus had stood up, now he glared at Liara's retreating back as Shepard watched her friend, frowning. Shepard sighed, "Stand down, big guy… I know it's irritating, but she's just scared."

Garrus shook his head, his hand moving to rest on her back, "I know that, Shepard… but she doesn't seem to get it. We're doing what we can, but we can't make things happen if there isn't an opening."

Shrugging, Shepard said, "Come on, let's get to our quarters. I want out of this armor and into a hot shower… sound good?"

Garrus nodded, agreeing with her and followed her into the elevator, but Liara's words and attitude were still concerning him.


	12. Scene 9

Author note: To Anon, I can't actually play ME1 because it's only available on PC and Xbox….I have a PS3, so I have to deal with ME2 and 3

By the way, Reviews make the heart sing and the fingers type…it's like crack for writers!

_**CHAPTER BREAK**_

Kaiden sat in the mess of the Normandy people watching. There was something to say about being the outsider in a deeply connected group. He watched as Dr. Chakwas laughed with the cook as he moved around the kitchen, cooking. Tali saw across the table from the psychotic tattooed woman, Jack, both laughing. Next to them, the Japanese Thief Kasumi sat alternating between flirting with the Cerberus soldier Jacob to her left and the Tali and Jack to her right. Jacob seemed more interested in his magazine than the conversation, but he did flirt back with the Thief. Kaiden couldn't help but smile, it was very interesting to watch. He's seen flirting, laughing, joking, stories and arguments from the crew and the team, and he had the unique placement outside the group, able to watch. He glanced up as the energy of the room changed and saw Shepard and Garrus walk in. Miranda Lawson was in deep conversation with Shepard, and Garrus walked with them, nodding and speaking to various people as he strode next to Shepard.

Kaiden felt the familiar sadness, if he had just been a little more trusting and supportive, that might have been him walking beside Shepard, fingers entwined. For a moment, he allowed himself the opportunity to fantasize, seeing he and Shepard in her quarters, laughing at some simple joke between them, looking down into her blue eyes and kissing her; walking into the mess and greeting people as they said "Yeah, Shepard and Kaiden, I wish I could find a love like that…."

Kaiden was surprised out of his fantasy by the feel of a lithe female body flopping down on the bench next to him. He glanced over and saw the ships Yeoman; what was her name? Cherry? Bella? No, Kelly, that was It, Kelly Chambers. He half turned to give her a half smile, "Good morning, Ms. Chambers, how are you?"

The petite redhead smiled at him and put her hand on his as she said, "I've been worried about you Kaiden…I know the entire situation must be difficult for you. It's really hard to love someone and see them in a new relationship and very happy"

Kaiden couldn't help throwing a look at Shepard, who was still talking to Lawson, but was now leaning back against Garrus' with his hands on her hips. Kaiden couldn't help a sigh as he turned back to Kelly Chambers with her too observant eyes and chirpy personality. Kelly squeezed his hand, meeting his eyes, she smiled at him and said, "You know that I'm a the ships councilor, right? Well, part of my duties are to watch out for the crew and help if I could. So I want to extend an invitation to you. If you need anything, to talk or whatever, I am _more_ than willing to be there for you. All you have to do is _ask_."

Kaiden watched at Kelly Chamber, who met his eyes boldly, smiling. He couldn't help but think that this was a lot more than a Councilor offering talk therapy. He shifted a bit nervously and tried to come up with something to say that wouldn't hurt he very friendly woman's feelings, but not give the impression he was considering her offer. But he didn't get a chance, with another squeeze of his hand, she stood back up, her thigh rubbing against his, and walked away, her hips swaying suggestively.

Kaiden must have looked as shell shocked as he felt, because a moment later, another person dropped onto the bench, this time across from him. He looked over and saw the old Merc, Zaeed , who grinned at him. Before Kaiden could say anything, the Merc shoved a forkful of his dinner in his mouth and said, "If you're thinkin of takin her up on her offer, go for it…not like most of the rest of the crew hasn't….." Kaiden started, he wasn't quite sure what to say, but was saved from more than hearing the Merc's laughter as Shepard sat down next to him, setting her tray down and sighing as she glanced over at Kaiden,

"Hey Kaiden…you doing ok?"

Kaiden tried not to look at relieved as he felt, but turned to her with a smile that he hoped was friendly, but not TOO friendly, "Yea…I'm…good Shepard. I'm just, I guess I'm at loose ends."

Shepard nodded, glancing over her shoulder and smiling as Garrus set his tray down and sat on her other side. Garrus nodded to him, not exactly friendly, but certainly not with the animosity that he'd shown up until now. Miranda Lawson set her own tray down across from them, sitting beside the old Merc and saying, casting a questioning glance at Kaiden, "Shepard, do you want to continue the discussion, or…?"

Shepard nodded, "No secret, Miranda…I really do appreciate your help on this. You're a lot better at this than I am…"

Miranda nodded, "It's not a problem, Shepard, I'm happy to help. I know that you're", another glance at Kaiden, "concerned about the situation and if I can help with this, I'm more than willing to do so."

Shepard swallowed her food and glanced at Kaiden, who must have looked as confused as he felt because she said, "I've asked Miranda to help me write up my "plea" for the trial. I'm just a soldier and I have _NO_ idea even where to start….that sort of political double speak is just beyond me…."

Garrus smiled, quipping, "Definitely not, you've got a _lot_ of talents, Shepard, but being politically correct isn't one of them…", Shepard gave Garrus a mock glare and bounced her shoulder off his. He grinned and bounced her back, then reached over and took her hand, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Smiling, Shepard wrapped her fingers around Garrus talons and they both simply went on, Garrus to a conversation with Tali, who came to sit beside them and Shepard to he and Lawson.

Commander…you ready to put your pretty face where your mouth is?", Zaeed, belched loudly and pushed his empty tray away, "since you chickened out last time in the sparring, I figure you and Vakarian gonna want to throw down and show us how it's done…."

Shepard grinned at the Zaeed and said, "I didn't _chicken out_, " she ignored the snort of disbelief and went on, " I had my daily dose of hand to hand on the mission. But yea, if Garrus is game, I'm ready to kick his ass…"

Garrus gave what Kaiden could only think was the Turian version of a grin, "If we can figure it commander, the yeah, definitely".

Shepard nearly snorted her coffee out her nose, coughing. Kaiden glanced from one to the other, and then at their tablemates, thankful that he wasn't the only one in the dark on this one. Shepard actually hit Garrus this time, hard enough to make him oomph and sway, nearly into Tali. Garrus turned and "grinned" at her again and Shepard shook her head, but Kaiden noticed a smile on her face.

A few minutes later, Shepard turned to Kaiden and said, "Kaiden…I get that this is probably not the most comfortable posting for you, but I appreciate that it's you here instead of someone else…", Garrus snorted behind her in derision, but Shepard ignored him, "And I know what it's like to be on a mission you don't want and have a lot of downtime…"

Kaiden shook his head, interrupting her, "Shepard, I specifically requested this mission…", he didn't tell her that he'd had to fight layers of burocratic bullshit to get it.

Shepard started, "Really? I just figured they'd tapped you for it…"

Kaiden gave her a look of reproach, "Shepard, you're my friend and I wanted to make sure you got a fair shake…some other Spectre might not give that to you. Some of the others would have tried taking control the minute you said you weren't handing the Normandy over to the Alliance…"

Zaeed snorted, "I'd like ta see em try that aboard this ship…", Miranda even smiled at that thought, but Kaiden frowned and went on, not wanting to think about what might have happened.

"Anyway, you're right that I hate not having anything to do. I offered to help around the ship, but most of the crew seems to feel better if I just stay out of the way."

Shepard nodded, thinking hard. An old saying from her mom ran through her head, _Idle hands are the devils playground_ While she was loath to let Kaiden near any important information, there was a lot to do to fix the damage on the Normandy and Kaiden was very good with Tech. Cocking her head to the side, she glanced at Garrus, who was in a conversation with Jacob, who was standing beside him. She shifted slightly, touching her thigh to him and he sighed, looking over at her and nodding, making her smile. "Ok, Kaiden…tell you what, if you're willing to follow chain of command on the Normandy, I don't see why you shouldn't be considered part of the crew for the duration of your stay…unfortunately, that means you're probably going to be working your ass off. There is a LOT of damage from the Collectors and the trip through the Relay."

Kaiden blinked a minute, that was unexpected. He'd been pretty much convinced that he was going to be treated like an interloper by everyone until the end of his stay. Slowly, he nodded, "Chain of command is no problem, Commander…where do I report for duty?"

Shepard nodded to Miranda, "Miranda's been handling personnel coordination…get with her after mess and she'll assign you to a team." Turning, she fixed Kaiden with her "I'm Commander Fucking Shepard and you WILL obey me" face and said, "I trust that you understand, Major, that we're extending quite a bit of trust here…and that you won't do anything to prove us wrong?"

Kaiden sat up straighter by habit, he didn't quite salute, but he felt like it as he said, "Yes Commander…I understand."

Shepard nodded, then turned to her meal.

_**CHAPTER BREAK CHAPTERBREAK CHAPTERBREAK CHAPTERBREAK**_

After mess, Kaiden did as Shepard said and reported to the ex-Cerberus operative, Lawson for duty assignment. She smiled at him and he couldn't help but feel a little un-nerved; there was something off putting about the woman. But she was nothing if not professional as she said, "I think the best use of our reportedly considerable talents will be working with Jacob Taylor and his crew. Jacob and his crew are meeting up in the Armory, which is off CIC. I've already told him to expect you."

Kaiden nodded and ignored the feeling that he needed to salute. As he turned to walk away, Miranda's voice spoke softly, " And Major Alenko? If I find so much as a hint that you're doing anything that might negatively affect this ship or her Commander…I'll make very sure that you regret it for the rest of your very short life. Do we understand each other?" Kaiden glanced back at her and found that half smile/smirk on her face and simply nodded. There really wasn't that much else to say.

Almost ten hours later, Kaiden stumbled into the crew quarters and collapsed on his bunk. He was exhausted, but set his chrono anyway for half hour before his next shift, then hesitated and changed it for an hour before. He lay there, half asleep, but not able to completely fall asleep. And he knew why; ten hours of pretty hard work and he was exhausted, but his mind was racing. Sighing, he got up and nodded to the few crew members that were still awake as he headed out to the men's bathroom and the shower.

After his shower, he felt a bit more human, so he ended up in the mess. Lucky for him, thanks to round the clock shifts, there was always something to eat, even if it was cold. He grabbed a cup of thankfully hot coffee and something that looked remarkably like a Danish, double checking that it was in the "LEVO" box, and moved to sit down. The mess was mostly empty, a few stragglers, like him, who couldn't sleep either before or after their shifts sat around, but it was blessedly quiet and still.

He chewed his food and took a drink of coffee and sighed, Cerberus might be a disgusting terrorist group, but their cooks were great. A sound caught his ear and he looked up, seeing Garrus leaving the Main Battery. Kaiden had a momentary flash back to the first Normandy and the talks that he and Garrus used to have in quiet times like these, sitting around that mess after their shifts when both were too keyed up to sleep. Caught in that revere, he raised a hand and waved Garrus over, smiling at him. Garrus hesitated, then rubbed his neck and waved back, going to the mess kitchen and helping himself to something to eat and drink. Garrus seemed more than a little hesitant as he walked over and sat down opposite Kaiden and said softly,

"Hey Kaiden…how did the shift go?"

Kaiden rolled his shoulders, grinning a little as he said, "I remembered why I hate repair work".

Garrus chuckled, sipping his…whatever it was that passed for coffee to the Turian, and nodded, "Yeah, it sucks, doesn't it? I thought becoming higher in rank meant LESS crawling through the bowels of the ship…boy was I wrong…at least on Shepard's ship".

Kaiden chuckled too, "Yeah, Jacob had me in the access panel under the com room. I don't think anyone has been I that access since they built this ship". The two men shared a laugh and then both were quiet, as they ate their respective snacks. Garrus finished his food and said,

"So…what do you think of Jacob?"

Kaiden made a considering expression, then said, "He seems like a good man…he knows what he's doing and he's not afraid to get in the trenches with his people to get the work done. Like most of the them, he's a little unsure of me, but at least he's willing to give me a chance."

Garrus noticed that Kaiden had seemed put himself and Garrus in the same "group", and grinned. Garrus remembered some of their conversations on the first Normandy. He'd considered Kaiden a comrade, if not exactly a friend. "Yeah, Jacob is a good man in a fight too…a little idealistic, but he'll grow out of that."

Kaiden nodded, "Yeah, too bad he left the Alliance…he could have gone far if he'd stuck it out…" Kaiden realized what he'd said as he said it and cursed to himself. He glanced at Garrus and saw the irritation cross Garrus face, but the Turian calmed his expression before shrugging a bit and saying,

"The Alliance isn't for everyone, Kaiden…Jacob can do a lot of good on his own…but I agree the Alliance is poorer for losing him"

Kaiden was thankful that the Turian had let his fuck up go and said, "You look like you've been working straight through…."

Garrus nodded, rubbing a grimy hand on his neck as he said, "Yeah, since just after mess. Collectors did quite a bit of damage, I've been working with Tali to get it straightened out. Speaking of which, I need to get Shepard to make sure that girl gets some rest. I don't think she's slept more than two hours for the last three weeks."

Kaiden shook his head, "Tali is devoted. To her own detriment at times. I miss talking to her…"

Garrus nodded, "Give it time, Kaiden…Tali and most of the rest are very protective of Shepard…they'll come around once they realize you're not going to hurt her again…"

Kaiden sighed, "I didn't mean to hurt her in the first place…you know that, right?"

Garrus sighed as well, he _really_ didn't want to talk about this, but he had once considered Kaiden a good friend, and while he still couldn't forget or forgive what Kaiden had done to Shepard, he could see that it hadn't been intentionally hurtful; just Kaiden being the person he was. So he gave a bit, "I know Kaiden…"

There was another long silence as Kaiden finished his coffee and gazed into the empty cup, looking up he saw Garrus was doing the same thing, though in the Turian's case, he seemed more interested in his own talon than the cup. Looking for something to say, Kaiden finally managed, "So…you done with your shift?"

Garrus nodded, glancing at Kaiden, considering what to say. Finally he decided that if Kaiden really wanted to be friends, then he'd oblige him. "Yeah, finally. Had to rewire half the system overrides just to keep the damn shut offs calibrated. I'm absolutely exhausted, and I feel like I've been rolling in Krogen piss."

Kaiden was very glad he wasn't drinking anything, because he choked as it was, any liquid in his mouth would have given Garrus a shower. Coughing, he glanced at Garrus and saw what he'd learned a long time ago to recognize as a Turian grin. "Krogen piss? Garrus, do I want to know how you know anything about Krogen piss?"

Garrus chuckled and said, "Have you met our baby Krogen?"

Kaiden couldn't figure out if Garrus was pulling his leg, but he went along anyway, it felt good to joke and laugh. "I thought Grunt was more like a teen than a baby…"

Mandibles wide, Garrus watched Kaiden, his eyes sharp as he said, "They grow up so fast…."

Kaiden started at Garrus, still trying to figure out if he was kidding or serious, but he couldn't hold off the mental images and made a moan, his imagination running overtime with image of Grunt, smaller in a diaper with Garrus and Shepard burping him. Kaiden shivered, trying to force the images of changing a baby Krogens diaper out of his head. He glanced over at Garrus and muttered "asshole" as he saw the smirk on the Turian's features. Kaiden said, "So if you're so tired what are you doing sitting here looking into an empty coffee cup?"

Garrus gave a tired chuckled, and spoke without really thinking who he was talking too, "Waiting on Shepard…she's been mining for the last nine hours or so, trying to get enough money to finish fixing the Normandy. She'll come down here looking for me before she goes up to the cabin and I'll be able to convince her to eat something. She's been subsisting on cold coffee and stubbornness for nine hours, getting her to eat something is part of my…"

Garrus hesitated, for just a few minutes, he'd forgotten who he was talking too; he'd been talking to the man like he would any other good friend, and had not thought how it might bother the man to hear. Garrus looked at Kaiden, who was staring morosely into his cup again. Garrus sighed, this was more difficult than he'd thought it would be.

Kaiden looked up and said, "so when do you think Shepard will be down?"

Garrus shrugged, but before he could answer, the elevator doors opened and Garrus quipped, "Right about now…"

Shepard walked around the corner from the elevator and looked into the mess, pausing as she saw Garrus and Kaiden sitting together, obviously talking. She honestly didn't want to make Kaiden feel any worse than he did now, but she was tired and really just wanted to grab Garrus and go to their quarters. She knew, however, that Garrus was going to insist that she eat something. She sighed and walked over to the table as Garrus got up and headed for the kitchen, putting some of the Danish on a place and pouring her a cup of coffee adding copious amounts of milk and sugar before filling his own cup and carrying everything over to the table.

Garrus set the food and coffee down on the table and gestured for Shepard to sit next to his seat, across from Kaiden. Shaking her head, but smiling, Shepard sat down and began to pick at her food, after taking a drink of her coffee. Garrus sat next to Shepard, drinking his own beverage, but saying nothing. Shepard smirked, looking across at Kaiden as she said, "He thinks I don't eat enough. Either that or he just wants me to gain weight."

Garrus smirked, "You gain too much weight you won't fit in the nest, Shepard. Not to mention your armor." Shepard elbowed him, her mouth full of Danish. Garrus smirked some more and Kaiden chuckled. No matter how else he felt, he could see the strength of the relationship between Shepard and Garrus. Maybe, Kaiden thought, just maybe Garrus really was the one she needed…

The three old friends sat while Shepard finished her impromptu meal, then Kaiden stood up, stretching and said, "Ok guys…I'm heading to bed. Tomorrow's going to get here too damn soon…you two have a good night." Kaiden walked his cup and plate to the kitchen, putting them in the dish sanitizer before heading to his bunk, giving Garrus and Shepard a wave.

Garrus looked over at Shepard, who was nearly falling asleep in her empty coffee cup. Chuckling, Garrus stood and gathered the cups and plate and put them in the sanitizer before walking back to Shepard, who had laid her head down on her folded arms. He took her shoulders gently, pulled her to her feet and said, "Ok amica, time to head to our nest…you're falling asleep on me…"

Shepard smiled, "Sounds like a plan, big guy…."

Together then walked to the elevator, Shepard rested her head on his chest, one of her arm around his waist as they rode up to their cabin. Once they got to the loft, Garrus left his arm around her shoulders and guided her to their cabin and their very inviting nest.


	13. Scene 10

Just a quick note to thank you for the feedback! As I said, it's like crack for writers and I always need MORE…. And I'm very curious as to how people feel about this fic as well…I think that this is going to be somewhat long, since I had a dream last night and it gave me a really deep idea for my personal version of ME3!

_**CHAPTERBREAK CHAPTERBREAK CHAPTERBREAKCHAPTERBREAK**_

Sparring

Garrus ducked, Shepard's fist went harmlessly over his head, and he made a grab for her wrist, but she danced out of his reach with a grin. "I see you're learning to duck, Vakarian…." Garrus chuckled and the circled each other warily, then Garrus feinted to the right and then the left before lunging right and grabbing Shepard's shoulder. Shepard twisted and threw herself forward in a roll, barely escaping his grasp.

Garrus chuckled again, "I see you're working on your flexibility, Shepard…"

The rest of the crew of course, didn't get the entire quip, but the surface quip was still funny. Shepard moved to the right and ducked under Garrus arm, grabbing his leg and pulling, throwing him off balance, then using her shoulder to bump him backward, before darting to the side. She underestimated Garrus reach, however he managed to grab her shoulder, pulling her backward into him, wrapping his arms around her, gripping one of her wrists in each hand, holding them across her chest.

Grinning, Shepard said, "And you're working on your reach", before she bent over and flipped Garrus over her, before tossing herself down on him, her thighs on either side of his head, her butt on his face and her hands holding his wrists to the mat. Garrus laughed out loud, and Shepard said, "Are you giving up, Vakarian?"

Garrus chuckled, "No way, Shepard…I'm just enjoying the view for a moment…." There was a lot of laughs from the assembled crowd. It seemed most of the crew and all of the team were assembled here in the larger portion of the shuttle bay watching the sparring match. Shepard glanced over her shoulder, grinned at Garrus until he moved, rolling his feet up, catching Shepard under the arms and flipped her over, following her down and pinning her. Garrus grinned down at her, "Give up, Commander?"

Shepard considered her options, then grinned even wider and said, "Hell no, Vakarian...just enjoying the view…" Shepard managed to get both her legs up, pressed her feet against Garrus' chest and shoved, knocking him back on his ass, at the same time, she rolled backwards over her shoulders and rolled to her feet in time to avoid a grab of her ankles. Garrus rolled to his feet and the two began trading swipes and punches, both managing to block at least 80% of their opponents moves. After a few more minutes of pretty equal hand to hand, Garrus managed to get his hands on Shepard and flip her around, locking his legs around hers, careful of his spurs, and his arms around her chest and arms. She tried to head-butt him backwards, but he got his head down next to her cheek and whispered something in her ear which made her gasp and freeze. That moment allowed Garrus to get her on her stomach, his weight on her holding her down. With a barking laugh, Shepard said, "Ok, Garrus….uncle…."

Garrus chuckled and said, "Uncle? Come on Shepard, you can do better than that…."

Shepard chuckled and said, "Fine, Vakarian…but I guarantee you'll pay for this later…."

Garrus laughed again, "Looking forward to it…."

Shepard gave a mock glare and said, "I'm Commander Shepard and I just got my ass kicked by Garrus Vakarian….."

The crowd burst into laughter as they realized the similarity to the endorsements that Shepard had given all over the Citadel. There was a handful of applause as Garrus rolled to his knees, not letting Shepard go until he had her on her feet. Shepard, good sport that she was, offered Garrus her hand and he took it, pulling her forward to rest his forehead against hers. She smiled warmly and stood there a moment, her forehead against Garrus. Someone in the back shouted, "GET A ROOM!" and the two broke apart laughing.

Zaeed stepped up and said, "Ok…now that's how it's supposed to go…. Who wants to go next?" To Shepard's surprise and the muttering of the crowd, Jack stepped up and looked at Miranda.

Jacked smirked and said, "Ok Cheerleader…let's see what you got…."

Miranda gave a cold smile and started forward, "Fine…but don't whine to me when I kick your ass" Jack laughed, but before she could reply, Shepard stepped forward and said,

"Ok ladies…remember the rules… Sparring only, no biotics, you draw blood on purpose, you lose."

Jack smirked, "Fine…like I need biotics to beat this bitch…."

Miranda gave a cold smile that fully explained why she was nicknamed the Ice Princess, "Of course, Commander…"

Shepard noticed a group of people going over to where Joker was standing, speaking to him and then wandering away. Sending Joker a mock frown, she called out, "Joker…you better not be taking bets on this….."

Joker stuttered and said, "Commander! You wound me! Would I do that?"

Shepard laughed out loud, "Hell yes you would…and you if you ARE taking bets, I can make sure you're up next….maybe against Grunt…." The Krogen laughed, slamming one meaty fist into the other as Joker paled. Taking pity on him, Shepard continued, "Unless of course you cut me in on the winnings…"

More laughter as Joker looked so relieved Shepard almost felt guilty for teasing him.

The rest of the evening went pretty well, considering. Jack and Miranda held it pretty well, following orders, though Zaeed stepped in before it go too nasty and it was declared a draw. Jack started to protest, but Thane stepped up to her, whispering to her and whatever he said, Jack started grinning and stepped back, even offering her hand to Miranda, who took it somewhat gingerly. Thane took on Grunt, showing that calm, rational, methodical fighting could counteract even most powerful opponent.

AS Thane put his jacket back on and Zaeed cleaned up the destruction, Shepard said, "Ok guys…that's it for tonight…. But I vote next time, Zaeed takes on Samara….."

Zaeed grinned, his ever present cigar clutched in his teeth as he smirked at the Asari Justicar, "You up for it, Sam?"

Samara smiled, a gentle nod of her head as she said, straight faced, "Of course, Mr. Massani…I hope you're prepared…"

The crowd seemed on edge, waiting for the normally calm, rational Asari Matron to finish,

…to kiss my blue butt…."

Whoops of laughter followed her statement and Zaeed looked shocked for a split second, then broke out in a huge belly laugh, calling, "You're ok, Sam!"

Some of the crew stayed to finish putting the sparring equipment away, but the rest took their turns riding up to the mess in the elevator. Garrus and Shepard ended up in the sharing the elevator with Thane, Jacob, Kaiden and Jack. Jack was still laughing at Samara's come back to Zaeed as Thane merely looked amused. Jacob said, "Should be a great match…I can't wait to see it."

Shepard grinned, "I know I'm putting 20 creds on Samara."

Jack frowned, "You think Blue's going to kick Zaeed's ass? She can't use her biotics, right?"

Shepard nodded, "Right…and with most anyone else, I'd put my money on Zaeed, his experience and willingness to do whatever it takes would give him the edge. BUT, Samara has every bit as much experience as Zaeed, plus and she's got something else on her side…"

Jack frowned, "What?"

Shepard grinned, "Boobs…."

The group laughed, as Jack turned to Kaiden, "Who you bettin on, Alliance?" Kaiden looked surprised to be included in the conversation, but Jacob grinned and clapped him on the shoulder and said,

"Yeah, Kaiden…which one do you think?"

Kaiden shook his head, he'd never been big on betting, but being included made him want to stay that way, so he said, smiling, "I think I'll bet on Zaeed…"

Jack clapped him on the back hard enough to shove him into Shepard, who braced him before leaning back into Garrus' chest. Jack said, "that's what I'm talkin about…bettin on a sure thing…"

Kaiden smiled, "I think that boobs" he paused to glance at Shepard, "will only get her so far…and I don't see Samara willing to do what Zaeed is to win."

Thane gave Kaiden a solid look, blinking both his eye lids. Kaiden probably wouldn't recognize the look, but Shepard did, and with a glance at Garrus, she realized that he did as well. Thane was amused as hell. So neither of them were surprised when Thane said, just as the elevator door opened to the crew area, "I imagine that you would be very surprised, Major, at exactly what Samara is willing and able to do…and how well she does it." And the enigmatic Drell slipped from the elevator leaving Kaiden, Jack and Jacob to stare after him, as what he said dawned on them at about the same time.

"SHIT", Jack snarled, then smirked. "That aint something I'm wanting to think about…." Kaiden and Jacob both nodded, looking a bit off. Kaiden swallowed, but wasn't able to say much, but Jacob said,

"Some things just aren't mean to be seen…even in imagination….."

All three exited the elevator and Shepard and Garrus managed to wait for the doors to close before beginning to laugh. By the time they got to the loft, Shepard was leaning on Garrus, laughing so much that he had to help her from the elevator and into their quarters. Garrus was laughing as well, but Shepard had pretty much lost it.

_**CHAPTER BREAK CHAPTER BREAK CHAPTER BREAK CHAPTER BREAK**_

Sighing, Shepard sat on the table in the med-bay, one of the many places she'd rather never be again. But Chakwas had demanded that she sit here while the doctor, Mordin and Miranda made some adjustments to her cybernetics. Miranda, having been the head of the project that had rebuilt Shepard, was discussing certain readings with Mordin as Chakwas checked some readouts. Shepard couldn't help fidgeting, she was not the type of person who sat still a lot.

"Commander, if you don't stop fidgeting, I'm going to sedate you." Dr. Chakwas glared at her and Shepard made a concentrated effort to sit still, but all she could think about was the tasks that she still had to accomplish. Finally, Mordin nodded at Miranda and stepped over to the bed, gazing at Shepard for a long moment.

Mordin cocked his head, observing the very bored commander, "Shepard…adjustments of your cybernetics could help you acclimatize and access new realms of possibilities. Will adjust now….hold still please, won't hurt…."

Shepard tried to relax then tensed against as Mordin gave her a look that was both amused and concerned, "…much".

Shepard made her way to the mess, trying to ignore the persistent ringing in her ears. Whatever the doctors had done with the cybernetics, she couldn't get rid of the sound. She had gone back and talked to Mordin, but all he's said was that they'd need to run more diagnostics; that statement had her backing away, stuttering that she'd see if she could get used to it…maybe it would go away; anything to avoid the repeat of sitting in the med-bay again. She began to notice other things as well, some of the voices of her crew sounded different; especially Tali, Garrus and Thane. It almost sounded like there some sort of echo of their voices; even Garrus' normal reverb of his voice sounded different, not bad, just different; like she was hearing _more_.

Even before Garrus had moved into her quarters, Shepard had set Edi to wake her up slowly, not using an alarm, except as an emergency. Instead, she'd had Edi work out a solution that started with low light and soft sound, mostly nature sounds, and had the volume raise slowly; allowing her to awaken more naturally. When Garrus had moved in, she'd put more emphasis on the light, taking it from soft, diffuse lighting and brightening it up to duplicate, as much as possible, natural dawn.

Both Garrus and Lia had their shifts set to start at 0600, so at 0500, when the nature sounds began to interfere with her sleep, Lia whimpered and covered her head. But as the light began to grow, mimicking the natural brightening of the light as dawn hit, she stretched and removed the pillow. She glanced over at Garrus and found him sitting up, stretching; and Lia made a face. It wasn't the Turian/Human connection that really made her pause; it was the fact that Garrus was a morning person. She grimaced and shivered, there was just something wrong with a person who was happy and chipper in the morning.

As she lay, trying to get the energy to wake up fully, she smiled slightly; Edi had outdone herself, the sounds coming from the audio system were very realistic. There was the sound of the breeze, trees rustling and faint bird noises; but the realism came from the over layer of louder bird song. The overlay wasn't the single layers of tweets and chirps, instead the sounds were very happy sounding. Chirping that trilled into deep throated purrs and harsher calls. Trilling, chirping, purring chirps, squawks and "crees" sounded so realistic and even had a reverb effect that reminded her of Garrus voice.

Lia frowned, the more realistic sounds had gotten softer, and now were growing louder again, seemingly out of sync with rest of the recording. Raising her head, Lia turned and tried to locate which speaker was playing the new sounds, but when her eyes fell on Garrus, walking back to their nest from the bathroom, she had a revelation. The new sounds weren't coming from the recording, but instead from her mate.

Lia stared at Garrus intently, so much so that Garrus noticed. The sounds abruptly stopped as Garrus looked back at her, eyes wide and he said, "What?"

Lia tilted her head to the side, watching her mate and asked, "Were you, _singing_?"

If Garrus eyes got any wider, he'd need to re-align his visor, but he said, "Singing? No, of course not…I don't sing."

Lia pouted her bottom lip out, "You were! It stopped as soon as you realized I was watching you! You were chirping and trilling and making "creeing" noises!" So intend was Lia on the conversation that she's sat up, onto her knees in the nest, her arms on the flat shelf that ran around the top of the nest. She gazed at Garrus and noticed that he clenched his mandibles to his face in a way that Lia had come to realize meant he was uncomfortable.

Garrus stalked to the closet to get some clothes and snapped at her, "Spirits Lia, what do you want me to say?" He grabbed his clothes and stalked to the couch to sit down and finish dressing. Lia wasted no time, she rolled out of the nest and moved to kneel between Garrus legs, her hands resting on his thighs as she gazed up at his face.

Forced to look down into her eyes, he sighed and said, "What do you want me to say, Lia?"

Lia cocked her head, she wasn't sure why he was so upset; she was enthralled and delighted with her discovery; though she was confused as to why she hadn't heard it before. "Why haven't I heard this before, Garrus?"

Garrus growled, "I don't know, Lia…but if you figure it out, let me know so I can shoot whoever is responsible."

Lia frowned, "Why? I love it! It's…"

Garrus interrupted her, exasperated and obviously irritated, "I swear to the Spirits, Lia, if you say it's _cute_ I'm going to…do something you won't like".

Lia kept frowning, "But why? I think it's…," , she noticed Garrus glare and changed what she was going to say, "amazing! It's one of the most interesting things I've ever heard! What is it?"

Sighing, because Garrus knew that he wasn't going to be able to get her off the subject, he said, dejectedly, "It's a genetic thing, Lia…when dawn comes, it's something that Turian's do. In the past, before we developed, I guess it was a way to share the dawn with the rest of our flo…family group. " Lia noticed the substitution of words, but said nothing as Garrus continued, "So yea, when the lights come on slowly like you have Edi do, I just automatically start vocalizing."

Lia said, "that is amazing, Garrus. It's so…joyful and natural; I don't know why you're so embarrassed about it."

Garrus sighed, though a thrill of pleasure went through him as he went on, "It's just…it's just one more way that we're different."

Lia had never thought of it like that, and she didn't want him too either. "Garrus, listen to me, please…", when he still wouldn't look into her eyes, she crawled up and sat in his lap, making him raise his eyes to her as she pressed her forehead against his and tried to explain, "I don't know why you're so upset or embarrassed about our differences. That's part of what makes this relationship so…special to me. Yes, we're different, and sometimes we see to be so far apart, but in the end, we compromise, or work together and our differences only enhance us. Your morning singing…"

Garrus interrupted her, his mandibles beginning to relax, but he was still obviously unnerved, "vocalizing"

Lia grinned as she nuzzled his neck and pressed a kiss to his mandible, "fine, vocalizing, is just one more thing I love about you. One more difference that makes you who you are…the Turian I love; my mate. Difference don't necessarily mean being at odds, Garrus, haven't you noticed that by now?" She nuzzled his neck, his mandibles and pressed her lips to his chin while pressing her forehead to his.

Garrus sighed, returning the nuzzling and forehead bumps, "I'm sorry, Lia…I guess I still think that eventually the differences between us are going to dawn on you and you'll realize that you want someone closer to home."

Lia was already shaking her head, "You're who I want, Garrus. I can't promise you forever, because god only knows if we'll even live through the Reaper attacks. But I know what I want…and that's you. I want to be that one Turian woman we've talked about. I want to spend the rest of my life waking up next to you and falling asleep in your arms. I want to know that you've got my six, and I want us to always be friends as well as lovers. I know what I want, Garrus, and no differences that might pop are going to make me change my mind."

Garrus ran his hands over her naked body, resting his forehead against her and sighed, then relaxed and began to vocalize to her. Lia smiled, relaxing into his arms, listening to him chirp and _cree_ and make other sounds that reminded her of happiness, love, faith…everything good. His vocalizations were new beginnings, just like the dawn they honored. And the sounds were even better now, as she felt the vibrations through his chest, and felt his face nuzzling her, nipping at her. Eventually, his vocalizations receded and were replaced by his familiar contented purring and Lia smiled, sighing a little as she said, "that was beautiful, Garrus…it makes me feel like the world is new again. Do you do that every morning?"

Garrus sighed happily, snuggling her to his chest, nuzzling her face, her ears and neck. He nodded against her head and said, "When the lights come on slowly, like this, yeah. Like I said, it's a genetic compulsion, not something I can prevent without concentrating on it."

Lia looked gleeful, "So you're going to wake me up every morning with the vocalizations?"

Garrus shook his head, but he couldn't help but smile at her almost child-like glee. So often she was the hardened soldier, the Savior of the Citadel, the Hero of the Collector defeat; she could so rarely just enjoy something, allow something to make her a sweet, happy woman. It moved him, made him feel so proud that he could give her that. He held her to him and smiled into her hair, nuzzling her. Lia frowned, now, and Garrus moved his head back, looking into her face as he said, "What?"

Lia frowned, "You say you do this every morning? Vocalize I mean?"

Garrus nodded, frowning, "Yeah, pretty much. At least when I can wake up normally to the gradually increasing lights, why?"

"Why haven't I heard it before? I know I would have remembered."  
>Garrus shrugged, "I don't know, Lia….maybe you just thought it was the recording."<p>

Lia frowned, "It's just…odd."

At that moment, Edi spoke through the speakers, "Commander, Thane would like to speak with you this morning, at your convenience."

Lia frowned at the interface, "ok…did he say why?"

"Negative, Commander. He simply requested that you meet with him. Shall I convey your question?" as always, Edi was pleasant and professional.

Lia shook her head, pressing another kiss to Garrus' scarred mandible as she said to Edi, "No, that's fine, Edi. Tell Thane I'll be in the mess in half an hour and I'll meet with him after I eat."

She turned back to Garrus and met his eyes, sighing. "Well, I guess my pleasant morning is over…want to join me in the shower, big guy?", she was teasing him…,mostly.

Garrus squeezed her, nuzzling her face once more as he laughed and said, "Not if you want to get to the mess in half an hour and meet Krios after."

Lia laughed as she got off his lap, letting him finish dressing as she said, heading for the shower, "Pity…might have been able to make you _vocalize_ again." Garrus threw a pillow at her retreating back as she laughed and disappeared into the bathroom.

_**CHAPTERBREAK CHAPTERBREAK CHAPTERBREAKCHAPTERBREAK**_

They made it to the mess well within the twenty minutes and she and Garrus gathered up some food and moved to sit down. Thane was, as pretty normal, not there for the mean, but most of their rest team was there, eating and laughing. Shepard and Garrus sat down and Tali promptly turned to Garrus and said, "Did you look at that data I sent you, Garrus? I think that we may have to go back to the beginning of the last bypass and see where the power is being diverted."

Garrus bit into his food and chewed before swallowing it, then said, "I glanced at the information, Tali, but I didn't read it fully. I'll do that right now…."

Tali was irritated and sounded furious as she said, "Dammit it Garrus…if you're putting your _personal life_ in front of your dedication to the Normandy, maybe I need to just do it all by myself…" and she stood and stalked off, tossing her still full try onto the counter.

Garrus looked stunned, then glanced over at Shepard, who wore a similar expression. Most of the team sitting with them seemed to be just as shocked, but it was Garrus who said, "I think perhaps Tali is working too hard and needs a break…I was going to speak to you about it the other night, Shepard. I don't think she's sleeping much at all."

Shepard frowned, "From that, I would have to agree. I'll go talk to her after I speak with Thane… If nothing else, I'll have Chakwas sedate her until she rests."

The rest of the meal passed without any more explosions, and when he Shepard finished her meal, she leaned over and pressed her forehead against Garrus, and he squeezed her hand as she got up, placing her tray in the sanitizer before heading toward the Life Support.

_**CHAPTERBREAK CHAPTERBREAK CHAPTERBREAKCHAPTERBREAK**_

Shepard raised a hand and triggered the door into Thane's quarters, and walked to the back, seeing him sitting in his normal position. She cleared her throat, though she figured he knew she was there, and said, "Hello, Thane. You said you wanted to meet me?"

Thane nodded, gesturing at the chair opposite him and as Shepard sat down, Thane observed her for a few moments before he said, "I was wondering if I might ask for a few weeks off from my service?"

Startled, Shepard almost missed the sound; she heard a trilling sound, higher pitched then the one Garrus made and she automatically glanced around the room, looking for the source. Thane watched her, obviously concerned as she forced her attention back to Thane and said, "Do you head that?"

Thane looked concerned and said, "Hear what…"but before he could finish, Shepard said,

"There! There it is again! Did you hear that? It was like a trilling sound…"

Thane actually looked extremely surprised, which was a first but he reached out and got her attention gesturing at himself as he said, "Are you hearing it now?" And she did, it followed Thanes words, then continued, ending on a higher pitch, like a question.

Shepard nodded, "Yea! That's it….what is that?"

Thane looked contemplative as he said, "I believe, Siha, that you're hearing some of the vocalizations that the Drell use in addition to their spoken language. It's not something we use intentionally, it's simply a sub-harmonic to our language. The sub-harmonic is used to enhance the verbal language. Much as humans use their eyebrows and faces, Drell, and several other races, use sub-harmonics. Though I am interested in how you are hearing it; it is far outside the normal human range."

Suddenly, Shepard knew exactly what had happened, and gasped out loud. "When Mordin, Miranda and Chakwas were messing with my cybernetics, they must have turned up my hearing! That explains a lot….Wait, did you say that other races use these sub-harmonics?"

Thane nodded, "Yes, Turian, Quarian, even Salarian use them to some extent."

Shepard slapped the table, "Well I'll be damned! That explains how I was able to hear Garrus singing! Damn, I knew that you, Garrus and Tali sounded different, but I couldn't place why. Do you think I could learn to read the sub-harmonics?"

Thane considered, "I do not see why you couldn't. They are honestly not difficult to interpret, simply outside the normal human range. Since you can hear them, I expect you can learn their meanings very quickly."

Shepard was still a bit pre-occupied, "Huh…damn, that's sorta cool. Wait…did you ask me for a leave of absence before I went off topic?"

Thane, amused expression on his face, inclined his head and said, steepling his hands and resting his chin on his fingers, "Yes. Mordin has arranged for me to meet with a friend of his who is working on a procedure that might be a treatment for the Keprals Syndrome. It is not a cure," he cautioned as Shepard's face lit up, "but it is, perhaps, a way to buy me some additional time. Perhaps enough for Mordin to find a cure…or at least enough to be of assistance for the upcoming fight."

Shepard reached out, squeezing Thane's hands, "Of course Thane! We'll miss you, certainly, but if there is a chance at a treatment, then you have to go."

Thane hesitated a moment, then squeezed her hands back as he said, showing more emotion than she's seen in him yet, "Siha, before meeting you, I had accepted my death…I was, in point of fact, more dead than alive even then. You brought me back to life, Siha…and now I find that I am loath to give up that life."

Shepard smiled at Thane and said, "That's one of the sweetest things anyone has ever said to me, Thane…thank you. I'm very, very glad to have you with us. You're very special to all of us. I guess that since Cerberus gave me back my life, I need to return the favor."

Thane gazed at her, blinking his eyes slowly as he said, "Siha, I do not think you understand how

much life you have returned. Not simply to myself, but I believe if you were to speak to others on the Normandy, you would find that you have given many of us our lives back."

Shepard looked down at their hands, blushing, not knowing what to say. Thane squeezed her hands, but they sat in silence until Shepard spoke, "Are you ever going to tell me what "Siha" means?"

Thane chuckled, "Perhaps when I return, Siha…I will grant you a reprieve on your curiosity"

Shepard and Thane talked a bit more, mostly about the trial he was going to go for. Luckily, the planet that he needed to go to was on the way to Tuchanka, where they were dropping Grunt off to meet his breeding requests. Thane offered to simply make his own way, but Shepard had no intention of allowing that, even if she had to go the opposite way to get there.

_**CHAPTERBREAK CHAPTERBREAK CHAPTERBREAKCHAPTERBREAK**_

A little over an hour later, after giving Garrus the good news and meeting with Mordin to confirm what was going to happen, and giving the new coordinates to Joker, Shepard made her way to Engineering to meet with Tali.

Tali was furiously working on her panel and barely looked up when Shepard walked in the room. Shepard watched her for a few minutes, before saying, "Tali, do you have a minute?"

Tali shook her head, not looking at Shepard as she said, "Can it wait, Shepard? I need to finish this…"

Stepping back, Shepard said, "Edi, is Tali working on something vital?"

"No, Commander…as a matter of fact, Tali'Zorah vas Normandy has made several errors that I have been forced to correct. I am more than capable of doing the calibrations she is currently working on."

Shepard nodded, glancing back at Tali who seemed obvious to Shepard's presence. "Edi, lock Tali out of her panel on my mark…and she is not allowed back in until she has gotten at least eight hours of sleep. And that means _ANY_ panel that can be used for work. If she's not sleeping, which is preferable, she can write letters. But any work is to be shut down."

"Of course, Commander…I will be waiting for your mark."

Shepard headed back to the panel where Tali was frowning as she worked diligently. "Tali…no, this can't wait. I need you to look at me…."

Muttering a curse, Tali flew around, facing Shepard and giving every indication of glaring as she said, "Shepard, I can't fix these engine if you keep distracting me…"

Shepard crossed her arms, giving Tali a cool gaze as she said, "Tali, you're not going to fix anything if you drive yourself into exhaustion. How much sleep have you gotten since we came back through the relay?"

Now Tali seemed to find her suit very interesting, because she stopped looking at Shepard to observe her sleeve. Finally, she shrugged, "I don't know….a bit."\

Shepard sighed, reaching out to put her hand on Tali's shoulder, "Tali…you have to sleep. You know what happens when you try to do work when you're exhausted…you make mistakes. You need to get some sleep."

Tali shook her head, "No, Shepard, I'm fine. I just need to…keep working…"

Shepard shook her head and said, "Now, Edi."

Tali spun around and tried to access her panel, before spinning back on Shepard and shouting, "What are you DOING, Shepard! I was in the middle…"

Shepard interrupted her, "of making mistakes, Tali. You need to sleep. That panel, and every other panel that might be work, is off limits to you until you get at least eight hours of sleep. Trust me, Tali…you NEED to sleep…"

"NO!", Tali practically screamed at her, "This is not fair, Shepard! Just because you have Garrus now, doesn't mean that you can stomp all over the rest of us…."

Shepard was shocked, but she kept her voice calm and said, "Tali…are you upset about my relationship with Garrus?"

Tali spun back to her panel and hit it, then turned back to Shepard and said, much softer , "I can't sleep, Shepard…every time I close my eyes I see…that woman" Shepard reached out to touch Tali's shoulder, surprised when Tali drew back from her. Hurt, Shepard still managed to keep her face inscrutable as she said, "I know Tali…I have that same nightmare. But not sleeping is not the answer. Report to Dr. Chakwas, that's what she's there for."

Knowing she was beaten, Tali slumped and nodded, "Fine…I'll go get something to sleep." Shepard started to speak again, but Tali interrupted her, "You got your way, Shepard…permission to go to the med-bay?"

Shepard was more than a little hurt, but she let it go, nodding and Tali brushed past her and out the engineering section, leaving Shepard feeling bereft. She wondered if she'd just saved the galaxy again only to lose another friend.


	14. Scene 11

Garrus looked around the planet they were currently on; he was locating high ground and finding cover without even thinking about it Of course, since they were currently on a very civilized, and _friendly_ planet, with a medical facility, none the less, there really was not a reason to do so. But he just couldn't help himself. Glancing over at Shepard, he saw she was still talking to Thane, who carried his bag over his shoulder. Garrus saw the amusement on Thane's face as he tuned into their conversation, and chuckled himself.

"Ok, Thane…now remember, all you have to do is shout at Joker and we'll head straight back here…don't even think of finding your own way, you hear me? You're going to be fine here…but just in case, you have the emergency contact code to get in touch with us?"  
>Thane was quite obviously trying not to let his amusement show, and luckily for him, Shepard was too preoccupied to notice how badly he was doing at that.<p>

Thane nodded at Shepard and said, "I have the code, Siha…and should require any assistance I will use it."

Shepard nodded, looking up at the door they'd just stopped in front of. Smiling, she said, "Ok Thane…I guess this is it. Just…be careful, ok? I need you back on the team before the shit hits the fan. You have everything you need?"

For a moment, Garrus almost expected her to adjust Thane's coat or wipe his face. Thane must have worried about that too, because with a bare glance at Garrus, Thane reached out and grasped Shepard's hands, saying warmly, "Everything will be fine, Siha…I will be back on the Normandy within six weeks, perhaps sooner. Try to stay behind cover while I am gone, please?"

Garrus watched Shepard blush and nod as Thane gave both of them a half bow and turned to enter the building, Shepard watching with ill-concealed nerves. Garrus chuckled and earned a glare from his mate.

"What?", Shepard snapped?

Garrus chuckled and said, "I can't wait to see how you act when we drop _Grunt_ off on Tuchunka."

Shepard rolled her eyes and elbowed him in the chest, which really didn't hurt as they were both wearing hard suits. Garrus chuckled again, as they turned to walk back toward the ship, he cleared his throat to tell her that Thane really was old enough to have gone without them, when he saw movement from his peripheral vision and turned, moving into a crouch and going for the sniper rifle he wasn't carrying. He made a "oomph" sound as the form slammed into him and he heard a familiar voice, which froze his movement. Unfortunately, he wasn't prepared for the weight of another Turian throwing themselves into his arms and stumbled backwards, directly into Shepard. She stumbled back and hit the wall as Garrus hit her.

Cursing, he managed to gain control over the Turian in his arms, pushing her slightly away and snapped, "Solana, dammit, I've told you about that before…", then turned worriedly to Shepard, who was gasping for air. He reached out and grasped her shoulders before saying, "Shepard? Are you ok?"

Shepard nodded, waving a hand at him to show she was fine as she tried to catch her breath. She muttered, "Solana?" as he kept his talons on her shoulders, staring at her with a worried expression on his face.

Glancing over his shoulder at the now irritated female Turian, Garrus said, "Yea, Shepard, this is my sister, Solana…Solana, this is Commander Shepard."

Shepard tried to smile pleasantly, but her smile faltered at the look of dislike on the female's face. Forcing a pleasant smile, she said, "Please to meet you Solana…"

The female said nothing, but with her new hearing, Shepard heard the twangy hum and the answering deeper, sharper hum from Garrus. From the little bit she'd been learning, she realized that whatever Solana's sound had meant, it wasn't nice and Garrus had correct her. Basically he'd told her to mind her manner. Shepard sighed, nothing was every easy…apparently even meeting her mate's family was going to be difficult. Narrowing her eyes, she realized that Garrus hadn't mentioned their relationship and poked him in the back. He reached back and caught her wrist as he concentrated on his sister, "Solana, what are you doing here?"

Solana drew her attention off the woman behind her brother and said, "We've brought mom here for a new treatment. I thought that was why you were here…you mean you didn't know? I thought you'd found out when you paid… SPIRITS Garrus! What happened to your FACE?"

Garrus frowned, looking both confused and irritated in addition to uncomfortable, his mandible close to his face, "There was…an incident…it looks worse than it is, Dr. Chakwas fixed me up. When I paid?"

Solana now looked confused, "I told you the last time we talked how expensive it was…when we got the notice it was paid in full, I thought…." She saw the confused look on her brother's face, and said, "…but I guess not. Who paid the fees, then?" Garrus thought for a minute, then a thought occurred to him and he slowly turned to look behind him, and suddenly, Shepard was looking everywhere but at him. The pretty clouds in the sky…the tree…that bird….. Garrus cleared his throat and said, "Shepard?"

Solana frowned, "Shepard? Why would your commanding officer pay for mother's treatment?

Now Shepard looked at him, "Yes…why indeed, Garrus?" And Garrus realized that he'd irritated her again, and he knew exactly why. Sighing, he started to say tell Solana that Shepard was his mate, when he had a very bad thought "Solana, you said "we" brought mom here…does that mean….dad…is…"

Solana looked at him in what Shepard had come to recognize as Turian irritation and said, "Yes, Garrus, our father is here. He's on a leave of absence from C-Sec to deal with this. Once we learned about this program, and then we got the news it was paid…he got paid leave to come here and get mom settled."

Garrus clutched at Shepard's hand and Shepard felt a surge of joy, he might not have introduced her to his sister as his mate, but he was opening holding her hand and drawing comfort from the touch. Garrus sighed as Solana communicated her dislike of his actions by her sub-harmonics.

Solana glanced behind Garrus at the Commander, the woman who had taken Garrus away from his job, his family, his dependability and his standing as a Turian. He might have been a hothead before, but he was dependable, he did his job, worked for the law. Then he'd met Commander Shepard and he'd thrown away his job, his standing, his life to follow her around the Galaxy. When Solana had heard that the human had died, she'd been happy; she'd thought that now Garrus would come home, settle down, get a job, get his respect as a Turian back. Instead he'd gone off and been worse, doing who knows what, being an outlaw. Then, against all odds, she came back and now her brother was back with _her_, and wandering around the galaxy leaving her, Solana, to tend their mother and put her own life on hold. And now, on top of everything, she'd gotten Garrus hurt so bad that no Turian of any standing would consider mating with him, so she had no hope of ever having her own life.

Garrus sighed and pulled Shepard closer to him, taking inordinate comfort from her closeness. Even through his hard suit he felt her hand on his back and the other in his talons, held gently but firmly. Before he could say anything else, he glanced behind Solana and saw his father walking up. Taking a deep breath, he straightened up, raised his chin and pulled Shepard from behind him to next to him, switching her hand from his right to his left, and sliding his right hand around her shoulders. His left arm was across his body, not exactly comfortable, but when he glanced down at her, he saw her eyes looking back at him; so proud, so much love that he couldn't help but widen his mandibles at her. She smiled wider back at him and released his left hand, leaving him strangely befret; right up until she reached up and grabbed his talons as they rested no her shoulder and slid her left arm around his back, resting her hand lightly on his hip. No longer even thinking of his father, or his sister, or anything but her, he lowered his head and bumped her forehead with his own.

"Hello Son…I didn't think you'd be here today" Amantius Vakarian nodded at his son, his curious glance slid over Shepard, who straightened up, then his eyes slid to her hand, resting on his son's hip and his mandibles widened, then flattened. When Garrus turned to look at him, he gasped, "Spirits Garrus, what happened to you?"

Shepard bit her lips, trying to not to smile, as Garrus sighed, mandibles held close to his face as he said, "Some mercs came after me with a Gunship, I was lucky that Shepard was there to save my neck"

Garrus' father shook his head and said, "Did you at least bring them to justice?"

Garrus nodded, "They'll not go after anyone ever again…"

Amantius shook his head, he was C-Sec through and through, and he would have preferred that his son had arrested the perpetrators, but he was also a realist and knew that sometimes, you had to take out the bad guys. "We just dropped your mother off…they said they need to settle her, but we can come see her in a couple of hours. Are you going to be here long enough to see her?"

Garrus glanced down at Shepard, who nodded minutely. "Yeah, we can do that…we're actually here to drop off one of our crewmates for some treatments as well, and Shepard has given most of us shore leave."

Amantius nodded, then turned to Shepard, offering her his hand as he said, "Commander Shepard, I presume?"

Shepard let go of Garrus talons and shook hands with Garrus' father, trying to ignore the death glare from Solana behind him. Amantius was being surprisingly cordial, he included Shepard in his conversation now as he said, "You were dropping off a crewmate? So you weren't aware that your mother was going to be here?"

Garrus glanced down at Shepard, giving her an odd look as he replied, "No, I didn't know mom would be here. But we're here for two days, so I'll be able to see her before we head out again."

Solana said, "Why don't you just stay here with us, Garrus…I'm sure your commander can spare you, right Commander?" She hadn't missed the way Shepard was hanging on her brother, and while she couldn't imagine Garrus was encouraging it, he didn't seem to be pushing her away either.

Shepard and Garrus spoke at the same time,

"No", Garrus said, frowning at his sister

"If Garrus wants to stay, we'll…." Shepard started.

But Garrus shook his head at her, gazing down at her, his mandibles tightening, then loosening as he said, "Don't even think of it, amica…I'm not staying without you. And I know that Grunt is going to go insane if we don't get him to Tachunka"

Shepard laughed, "Yeah, he's already stalking around the ship muttering about breeding contracts"

Garrus mandibles widened again as he looked over at his sister and father; his father nodded his head. Solana's sub-harmonics were thrumming with anger and animosity, so badly that her father turned to her with a frown and said, "Solana, I know that your mother and I raised you with more manners than this." Solana looked surprised, then chagrined and she shut up.

Amantius turned back to Shepard and said, "I'm sorry about my daughter, she's been under a lot of pressure; most of her mother's care is on her shoulders. Garrus said that you were staying here for two days?"

Shepard nodded as Garrus' thrummed beside her. She was new at understanding sub-harmonics, though both Garrus and Thane had been helping her learn, but she knew that Garrus was nervous, irritated and defiant. Until he looked at her, then his humming changed and it was calm, proud, loving. Shepard smiled at Garrus and bumped her head against his chest causing his arm to tighten around her shoulders.

Garrus turned back to his father and his entire posture was more relaxed now, the thrumming still nervous, but stronger, more sure. "We have a room at the Rift Inn for the next two days, neither Shepard or I have had shore leave in a while and since the Normandy is going through a couple of repairs, we decided to have a break ourselves."

Amantius was no fool, he'd seen his son's reactions and actions toward Shepard and heard him call her 'amica'. There was a lot more than rank between them, and while he wasn't happy with the turn of events, he could also see that Shepard cared for his son. Nodding, he said, "Solana and I are also staying at the Rift. Perhaps after visiting with your mother you and your…" he paused, not sure of what to call her. If he just called her Garrus' Commander, he might insult her, yet if he said too much, he might make one or the other uncomfortable.

Garrus raised his head, his sub-harmonics as well as his mandibles went defiant as he said, "My Bondmate…Sh…Lia is my Bondmate, Father" Solana gasped and gripped her father's arm, looking stricken. Amantius, however, had expected something like that, though the depth of their relationship was a shock.

Years of C-Sec training and handling people came into play and he merely said, "Perhaps you and your Bondmate will join us for a meal?"

Garrus glanced over at Shepard, who smiled and nodded and Garrus flicked his mandibles in irritation before turning back to his father and saying, "Sure, Father…Lia and I would be happy to join you for a meal."

Amantius nodded, "Solana and I were going to go look at the reflection pool…would you care to join us?"

Garrus shook his head, "We've still go to check into the hotel…we'll be back in a couple of hours to see mom…which section is she in?"

After getting the information, Amantius bid them both a calm farewell and headed off, practically dragging Solana with him. Garrus sighed and slumped, holding Lia tightly to him, saying, "Spirits…that went better than I expected, but I'm not looking forward to the meal…" Garrus looked down at Shepard as he spoke and he thought he saw a flash of something unhappy in her eyes, but it was gone so fast he wasn't sure.

She carefully squeezed his waist and said, smiling, "Shall we go check into the hotel? I hear it has a Jacuzzi tub that fits two…sounds like just what we need to relax."

Garrus looked a little surprised, "I didn't think you liked baths…"

Shepard looked at him wide eyed, "I _**LOVE**_ baths…there is **NOTHING** like a good soak to relax and refresh you. That is the one thing I would have loved to have had in the Normandy…they put a fishtank in my room, but all I get in the bathroom is a shower…", she looked so irritated by that thought that Garrus gave her a Turian grin, amused humming in his voice as he said,

"I'm sure it was an oversight…you could use the fishtank…"

"HA! Don't think I haven't considered it!" Chuckling the two headed to the hotel, arms still looped around each other.

_**CHAPTER BREAK CHAPTER BREAK CHAPTER BREAK CHAPTER BREAK**_

The hotel was beautiful, and once the clerk figured out who Shepard was, they ended up in a much nicer room than they'd booked. Shepard tried to talk them out of it, but the manager was insistent…no way would the Savior of the Citadel and Defeater of the Collectors stay in a sub-par room. He tried to comp them the room as well, but there Shepard drew the line. She insisted on paying the original price, though she took the upgrade.

The room they ended up in was huge, actually to rooms; a living room and a bedroom. There was a private balcony that overlooked the ocean that was just a few steps from their hotel. The bathroom was bigger than their quarters on the Normandy and contained not just the necessary items, but a separate shower big enough for both of them complete with benches and some strange built in things that Shepard couldn't place. The shower also had six shower heads, guaranteeing that anywhere you stood, you would be under the spray. The bath was bigger than their nest, and had jets that blew water on their bodies. There was a surround around the tub wide enough for either of them to sit on and next to the tub was a huge selection of soaps, powders and other items that Garrus had no clue of the identity of.

Shepard was gleeful about the entire thing, even if she was not thrilled with the way they'd ended up there. Garrus sat in an arm chair and watched Lia wander around the room, looking at different things. Garrus knew that if she'd been Turian, she'd have been trilling with delight; but since she wasn't, he trilled for her. She laughed as she plopped herself down on his lap, her arms going around his neck, stroking his fringe and beneath it and he began to purr in addition to the happy trilling. She smiled brilliantly at him as she said, "I love it when you make those noises…"

Garrus chuckled, "I know…and I love to see you so happy."

Shepard cuddled close to him, "I'm guessing we don't have time for a quickie before we go see your mom?", she looked resigned, and a little hopeful. Garrus wanted to, more than he'd ever thought possible. But he sighed, and then grinned at her,

"There is no such thing as a _quickie_ with a Turian, amica. And no, we probably don't have time for much of anything other than to settle in a bit. OF course, if _someone_ hadn't spent forty five minutes arguing with the hotel manager, we _might_ have had the time…"

Shepard sighed, "It doesn't feel right…taking things just for doing my job."

Garrus sighed and cuddled her closer, bumping her forehead with his own and said, "Amica, I think you've earned a simple room upgrade…"

Shoving off the odd emotions, Shepard grinned and said, bumping her head against his this time, "Ok Officer Vakarian…the sooner we get out of her, the sooner we can see your mom, have dinner with your dad and sister and get back here to break in that _glorious_ tub!"

Garrus chuckled as she stood up and offered him her hands, pulling him to his feet as he said, "Well then, Commander Shepard…shall we?"

_**CHAPTER BREAK CHAPTER BREAK CHAPTER BREAK CHAPTER BREAK**_

The two walked through the streets back to the Medical center. Without their hard suites, Garrus felt her hands on him, her hand sitting gently on his hip as his rested around her shoulders. She held his talons with her hand. When her hand would caress his waist, he shivered; the third time it happened, he gave her a mock glare, "Lia, if you keep that up, I'm not going to be fit to introduce you to my mother until we find a vacant closet somewhere and take care of things…"

Shepard laughed, truly amused and said, "Sorry, love…I just love touching you."

Garrus leaned his head sideways and bumped her head with his, mandibles wide, trilling happily as he said, "I love touching you too…"

Shepard gazed around them, both out of habit looking for hostiles as well as cover and because it was so odd not to be the only mixed couple around. While her crew had grown used to the her relationship with Garrus, anytime they were around others, it was a novelty. But here, there were mixed couples of all kinds, Turian/Quarian, Asari with various species, even an Elcor/Volus pair holding clinging to each other which had both Garrus and Shepard staring wide eyed. They forced their attentions away, but after a few minutes of silence, Shepard said, hesitantly, "Do you think…."

Garrus interrupted her, quickly, "I don't know…I don't _WANT_ to know…let's not go there, okay?" Shepard nodded violently, that particular image was not very appealing. By the time they reached the medical center, they'd seen couples of so many different types that Shepard was curious.

As they checked in at the building where Garrus mother was, and waited for a nurse to show come and get them, Shepard mused out loud, "I wonder why there are so many mixed couples around here? I know they have a nice resort, but it seems a little odd…."

A Salarian wearing a medical coat stopped and said, gazing at them, "This medical center is the leading fertility clinic working on mixed race fertility in the system…perhaps the galaxy. Many couples come here to try for procreation…" The Salarian walked on and Shepard and Garrus shared a look. Shepard sighed, her thoughts going into the future, and when she looked at Garrus, she saw a similar look in his eyes. Before either of them could say anything, Solana and Amantius arrived.

Amantius nodded at Garrus and Shepard, and said, "Good afternoon Garrus…Commander…"

Shepard smiled a bit nervously at Amantius and offered, "If it's not too odd, I'd be happy if you called me Lia."

Amantius nodded at her, his mandibles widening a bit as he said, pleasantly, "Of course, Lia…" as Solana stood behind her father, glaring at Shepard. The nurse appeared and the four of them followed her to a beautiful room overlooked the courtyard where a Turian female sat in bed, and Shepard, for the first time, saw a Turian who was unwell. She'd wondered if it would be clear to her, as a human, but seeing Garrus mother, she no longer wondered.

Sabina Vakarian looked drawn, her colony marks standing in sharp release to her nearly colorless plate. The only part of her that seemed normal was her alert, sharp blue eyes. Shepard saw where Garrus had gotten his eyes when she saw Sabina. Garrus did look a lot like his father, but those eyes…they were straight from his mother. Solana moved to stand protectively by her mother's side, as Amantius moved to sit on the bed, facing his wife. He leaned forward resting his forehead against his wife's and Shepard smiled, the love between the couple was obvious.

Garrus watched as well, and he drew Shepard closer to his side, his hand moving to run his talons up and down her back. Shepard glanced up at him and saw an expression she'd rarely seen on his face, he might not get along with his father, but he adored his mother and the sight of his parents together made him happy.

Sabina's voice was soft, but she held out her free hand to her son, and Garrus obediently went to his mother's side. Shepard tried to hang back, to give them privacy, but Garrus held fast to her hand, dragging her with him, much to his sister's disgust. Shepard felt the sharp eyes lite on her consideringly, before they moved to her son. She smiled in that familiar Turian manner and said, "Garrus…I'm so glad you came. What happened to you face, son?"

Garrus clenched his mandibles and tensed, but Shepard's gently touches on his shoulder and her hand squeezing his talons calmed him and he said, "I forgot to duck…" He heard Shepard snort softly and grinned, holding his mother's hand with his free hand.

Sabina shook her head, amused "You never learned that lesson…sometimes I wonder how you managed to live to grow up at all… And this must be Commander Shepard…"

Garrus pulled Shepard closer, and said, softly, "Mother, this is Lia…she is my Bondmate." Solana gasped, then turned, mandibles tight against her face and stalked from the room as Garrus mother shook her head and said, taking her hand from her son's and offering it to Shepard, "Do not mind my daughter, she is a bit over wrought. She's been taking care of me and it's quite a chore these days." When Shepard took her hand, she pulled her closer, around Garrus so that Lia was practically sitting in Garrus' lap. Sabina looked at her and Lia had to force herself not to fidget; she felt those sharp blue eyes were staring directly into her soul. Nodding, Sabina seemed to see whatever it was she was looking for, because she smiled and used one of her talons to take her son's hand, holding both Lia and Garrus' hands in her. "Welcome, filia…I wish you and my son great happiness…"

Shepard heard Garrus gasp a bit and saw Amantius grew tense, but she had no idea what Sabina had called her. She perched on Garrus' lap and listened as Garrus spoke to his mother, the two exchanging quips as Amantius simply smiled and shook his head. After a while, a nurse came in and told them they'd have to leave, and Garrus and Shepard stood up. Garrus bent down and touched his mother's cheek with his own in a move that Shepard had never seen before, but it looked special. Sabina then held her hand out for Lia and pulled her close, gently touching her cheek to Lia's. As she did so, she whispered, "I am happy for you and my son, filia…" Shepard had to blink the tears from her eyes as she nodded to Amantius and allowed Garrus to lead her from the room, leaving Amantius to have a few minutes alone with his mate. Garrus was lost in his own thoughts, so they walked together, arms around each other through the medical center. Finally Shepard cleared her throat and when Garrus looked at her questioningly, asked, "What was it she called me?"

Garrus widened his mandibles, thrumming with some happiness, but the underlying sadness of his trill nearly broke Shepard's heart. "Daughter…she called you daughter."

_**CHAPTER BREAK CHAPTER BREAK CHAPTER BREAK CHAPTER BREAK**_

Dinner with Garrus father and sister was an interesting affair. All of them were somewhat subdued, but Garrus, Shepard and Amantius attempted some conversation. Luckily the restaurant in the resort offered both Levo and Dextro food and beverages, but Solana continued to set an even bigger pal over the mean. She sat in near silence, only answering when her father or brother directly asked her a question, which neither did often. Solana glared at Shepard so hard that Shepard found herself reaching for the piston that she wasn't carrying. Garrus caught the movement and gave her an amused look, taking her hand and holding it in his. That brought her a measure of comfort, at least until she excused herself to go to the bathroom.

Leaving the stall, Shepard was not at all surprised to find Solana waiting for her. Sighing, Shepard moved to wash her hands, waiting for the Turian to say something. The anger and fury trilled in her sub-harmonics. Finally, as Shepard dried her hands, Solana hissed, "Why couldn't you have stayed dead? It's bad enough that you enticed him away from his career and his life, kept him from his family and corrupted him from being a good Turian; but then you had to go and get him so badly injured and scarred that no well-bred Turian female would consider him as a mate…just to get him in your bed for you deviant urges" If Solana had begun to dance a mamba and sing show tunes, she couldn't have surprised Shepard more. Solana continued, "You may have manipulated him, but I see right through you…you're disgusting and vile and I won't rest until I save my brother from you."

Shock and surprise began to give way to anger in Shepard and she said, coolly, "Whatever you think of me, Solana, I would never let Garrus get hurt just to manipulate him. Hell, I'd give my own life to make sure he wasn't hurt. I get that you don't like me, that you wish Garrus had chosen a nice, Turian female…but he's _my_ mate, and that's not going to change."

Solana, clearly furious, spat "Isn't it?" and turned, stalking from the room. Shepard took a moment to calm herself, before making her way back to their table. Garrus was looking in her direction nervously as Amantius spoke softly to his daughter, who sat, arms crossed, glaring at nothing in particular. Shepard resumed her seat next to Garrus, trying to project a calm manner. He took her hand, looking at her questioningly, but she just gave a brief shake of her head and squeezed his hand. He glanced at his sister, and the look was not pleasant, but he said nothing and the four finished the meal and separated in the lobby.

Garrus pulled Shepard into the circle of his arms as they rode up in the elevator, holding her gently and feeling the tension in her body. She was carefully restraining her emotions, showing the calm, "commander Shepard" façade that she'd perfected over the years. But he could feel the emotions churning beneath the calm surface. He buried his face in her neck, and she raised a hand, stroking under his fringe, making his sigh and arch his neck into her touch. By the time they got off on their floor, she had relaxed a bit; and he was anything but relaxed.

AS they entered their room, Garrus saw a room service cart with a bottle of no-protein champagne and a selection of both Dextro and levo fruit. He turned to Shepard, prepared to ask what had happened with Solana, but she raised on tip toe and pressed her lips against his lip plates and whispered, "No…no talking. Make love to me, Garrus…please…"

Garrus gazed into her eyes, considered what he found there, then nipped her lips carefully and nodded, "I can do that, amica…."

Gently, Garrus put his hands under the shirt she was wearing and peeled it up her body, exposing her waist and then her breasts, encased in her bra. Tossing the shirt to the side, he lowered his head and began to lick and nuzzle her breasts, his arm firmly around her, as she leaned back and moaned. He felt her nipples harden under his touch and gently pinched them with his mandibles. He heard her gasp and then his talons were on her pants, sliding them off her hips, going to his knees to press gently nuzzles to her belly. He felt her kick off her shoes and he slide her pants the rest of the way off her legs. Her panties were blue and he smiled, his favorite color, just like the bra she still wore.

Placing his hands on her ass, he lowered his head, running his tongue over her mound, through her panties. She gasped and gripped his head, rubbing and massaging his fringe and sliding her fingers beneath to the velvet softness beneath. He moaned as well, feeling is plates shift and renewed his effort to pleasure her. She gasped as he licked her through her panties, he could smell her arousal and it cause a surge of desire in him. Carefully, he slid a talon into her, pushing her panties aside and hearing her gasp.

Lia moaned, the feeling of his tongue on her, his face nuzzling her was driving her crazy. She squirmed and reached down, undoing the top fastenings of his shirt. Growling, he stood up and lowered his head, his tongue sliding over her lips and into her mouth, meeting hers. She tasted her own fluids on his tongue, and she rubbed hard against his groin. His finger was still sliding in and out of her, rubbing as she arched and moaned. She undid his shirt and slipped it off, he removed his finger from her body to finish taking off his clothes, leaving him naked. He stood in front of her, pulling her against him, letting her feel how aroused he was. His cock rubbed against her mound and she nearly cried out. He felt her grind against him and his cock twitched. He kept his tongue running over her lips and tongue as his hands played with her breasts, her ass. He walked her backward slowly, until they reached the bed.

Garrus pushed her back and she gasped as she hit the mattress over the perches on the end of the bed. Lia moved herself back up the bed and he knelt on the edge of the bed, watching her move backward. There was a feral glint in his eyes and she felt a surge of emotion in response; it wasn't fear, but excitement. Her mate was stalking her and that made her feel absolutely powerful.

As she moved backward, Garrus felt the overwhelming need to follow her, pounce on her, so he placed his knee on the bed and slowly began to move toward her, crawling on hands and knees, slowly, his predatory eyes never leaving hers. When she hit the headboard, he growled and lower his head, lapping and nuzzling her legs, her knees, moving up her body. Then suddenly, she moved, rolling to her own hands and knees. She half crouched, looking just as predatory as he did. He felt a surge of excitement, his cock growing even harder than before as she crawled toward him. They met in the middle of the bed, he bulking up his shoulder, lowering his head , shoulders going up as he stared at her. She met his eyes, her own flashing, lips half open, but rather than moving to make herself bigger, she crouched, twisting her upper body, rubbing against his arms and chest.

Garrus leaned over her, using his tongue and his face to lick and nuzzle up her spine, making her arch her back, making sounds he'd never heard from her throat before. She crawled almost all the way underneath him, her tongue licking and her face nuzzling his thighs, his cock, the back of her head rubbing against his belly. The feeling of her rubbing herself against him nearly made him lose his mind, but he kept his mouth and nuzzles going down her spine, to her round ass. He nuzzled her left ass cheek, then nipped her, causing her to squeal and moan.

Garrus felt Lia twist and then she was laying on her back, underneath him and she was reaching for his cock with her sweet mouth. He groaned and growled, but lowered his head to apply his tongue to her pussy, finding that somewhere, she's managed to lose the panties. He huffed in pleasure at finding her bared to him and lowered his head, his tongue tracing the lips of her vulva, sliding down and dipping inside her, catching her fluids with his tongue and sliding it around her pussy. Her hands slid up and grasped his waist, squeezing and massaging, making him groan as she took more and more of him in her mouth, working his cock, taking him deep in her throat, then sliding back to the bed, almost losing contact with his cock.

He delved his tongue into her slit, using the tip to caress her clit, feeling her gasp and moan, arching to him. He kept his weight on his hands and knees, spreading his legs a bit further apart to allow her better access. He felt her mouth leave his cock, only to be replaced by her hand as she arched and used her tongue to lick and lap inside his plates. He moaned, arching against her uncontrollably. She began rubbing inside his places with her fingers as her mouth went back to his cock and to his shock and pleasure, she began to make a deep, humming sound that went straight from her to his cock and gut.

Garrus redoubled his efforts on her pussy, licking and nuzzling her clit, sliding his head down and sliding his long tongue deeply inside her body, his chin continuing to caress her clit. She was moaning and arching into his mouth constantly, and the more she arched and moaned, the harder she sucked his cock.

As she arched, she tightened her thighs on him, and he rubbed his fringe against her, moaning as she wrapped her legs around his neck, her knees and thighs rubbing his fringe. He knew she was close to coming, and he wasn't going to be far behind her. She kept her fingers inside his plates and she removed her mouth from his cock and kept moaning, keening his name as she got closer and closer. She worked his cock and groaned and arched into her hands as he worked her clit. Her legs let go of his neck and she placed her feet on the mattress, arching up to him. His mandibles spread, before going back to caressing her; he was closer than he had thought,. She began to keen his name, moaning and gasping as she came, hard.

Garrus smiled as he kept his tongue working on her, feeling her orgasm shake her and the aftershocks making her continue to writhe. He was so close that he groaned, pulled away from her and spun around, picking up her legs and buried his cock inside her, grinding their hips together.

He paused, feeling the spasming of her tunnel from her orgasms and he looked down at her, their eyes meeting as she reached up for him, her fingers going unerringly to his fringe, rubbing him, her finger tips massaging him, her legs going around his waist and beginning to tighten and release rhythmically. He gasped and groaned as she worked his waist and fringe at the same time. He growled deep in his throat, guttural and harsh, almost as though it was a cross between a growl and a purr, but the sub harmonics told her how much he loved her, how happy he was, how close he felt to her and how close he was to release.

Garrus raised his head, looking down into her pleasure twisted face, feeling her working his waist and fringe and moaning his name, gasping her love for him. He gasped back to her, the vocalizing making his "I love you" almost a growling purr as he slammed inside her again and again. He was so close, he kept slamming himself inside her and he gazed at her seeing her mouth "please" and that did it, he roared as he slammed back into her once. Twice….three times and spilled his seed hard and deep inside her. He felt her come again, she writhed and arched into him as she rode the crest of the orgasm, meeting his own release. He couldn't stop himself this time and collapsed on top of her, his full weight coming to rest on her as he saw stars.

Garrus had no idea how long they lay there, entwined, his weight on her, clutching each other as the aftershocks of their pleasure shook them. Eventually, Garrus realized that he was laying fully on top of her, and likely crushing her. He prepared to move, but she cried out, clutching him. He soothed her, stroking her hair, noticing how his hand shook. He started to speak, found he had to clear his throat and finally managed to say, "Shh, amica, I'm just going to roll us over…." She mewed her displeasure, but allowed him to do it so that she was laying on top of him, their bodies still joined together. He heard her gasping and worried a moment that he'd hurt her, collapsed her lung or something. But when she said nothing and merely began to rub her face against him, resting her forehead against him as she looked deeply into his eyes.

"God I love you Garrus…."

He cuddled her against him, pressing is face against her, using his tongue to touch her cheek, her ear, her mouth, "I love you too, amica…."

She sighed into his chest, "I can't stay awake…."

He chuckled hoarsely, purring like hell as he whispered, "Then sleep, amica…when we wake up maybe we'll make it to that tub…." Her quiet laugh lulled him to sleep as she followed closely behind him.


	15. Scene 12

NOTE: Warning…fluff/smut/humor ahead….

_**CHAPTER BREAK CHAPTER BREAKCHAPTERBREAKCHAPTERBREAK**_

"Commander, we're making the final approach to Tuchunka…eta 4 minutes".

Shepard continued studying the data pad and said, "Got it Joker…have the shuttle standing by…." Sighing, Shepard stretched, rolling her neck and stifling a yawn as Joker continued,

"you want me to have Garrus meet you in the shuttle bay, Commander?"

Shepard looked at the Turian who sat next to her, and currently had her legs draped over his lap as she leaned against the arm of the couch. Grinning at her mate, who was cleaning a rifle using her legs as a table, she said to Joker, "Not necessary, Joker….I got it covered…."

"EWWWWW…..Edi! Why didn't you tell me he was _there_?"

Garrus huffed in amusement, glancing at Shepard with his mandibles spread in a Turian grin. Shepard chuckled and said, "Gotta love it when the jokes on Joker…." Garrus chuckled and said,

"I think Edi does it on purpose…she's developed a sense of humor since she was unchained." Shepard laughed and Garrus grinned wider as he turned his attention back to the rifle he was cleaning and adjusting. He gazed at the gun, his visor magnifying the threads; then he used a tiny screwdriver to make a minute adjustment. That done, he looked down the barrel again and nodded, then put the rifle back together quickly. Patting her leg with his talons, Garrus said, "Ok, Shepard…you ready to drop off another of the _kids_?"

Shepard smacked his shoulder with an open hand, chuckling as she swung her legs off his lap and set the data pad down on the table. Garrus stood up and offered her his hand, pulling her to her feet when she put her hand in his. Grinning, Garrus handed her the rifle and said, "that should make it pull a little less to the left…let me know how it handles…"

Shepard nodded, butting her forehead against her mate's chin, just under the mandible and he chuckled again, leaning down to press his lip plates to her, caressing her with his tongue, then butting his forehead against her. Shepard said, "You know…I could get used to this…."

Garrus looked at her, waiting for her to finish, "Having my own, personal, weapons adjuster in cabin…."

Garrus huffed his amusement again, trilling his sub-harmonics in happiness as he said, "I feel so used, Shepard…you only want me for my gun and calibrating prowess!"

Laughing together, they went to their armor and began to suit up.

_**CHAPTER BREAK CHAPTER BREAKCHAPTERBREAKCHAPTERBREAK**_

"You never take me anywhere nice, Shepard…"

Shepard glanced over her shoulder at Garrus, grinning as she said, "What are you talking about, Garrus! Look around you! This is the next big thing on the resort circuit! It's warm…the people are...err…friendly. IT's got amazing natural attractions! You're getting in on the ground floor here, Garrus!"

Garrus snorted, "Right…."

Grunt, who had been following, shook his head and said, "Battlemaster…how long will I have in the female camps?"

Shepard glanced at Garrus who gave her a "it's YOUR problem" look as he widened his mandibles in a Turian grin. "Well, I'm not sure, Grunt….we'll ask Wrex…but I guess you'll have as much time as you need to…err…fulfill your…err…breeding contracts."

Grunt, well, grunted and just as Shepard started to congratulated herself on getting out of that one, said, "Will you be handling _**YOUR**_ breeding request, Battlemaster?"

Shepard's eyes widened and she stuttered a moment, before she glanced back at Garrus, who was leaning against the wall of the cavern, obviously laughing his ass off. Stopping, much to Grunt's disgust, she glared at Garrus and said, "Yuck it up, Vakarian…you're just making it worse when karma bites you in the ass!"

Garrus continued to laugh, only managing to get in control when Grunt began to literally growl in frustration. Even then, Garrus let out the occasional snicker as they walked along and was holding his abdomen which hurt from laughing as Shepard explained to the very confused and astonished Krogen that she wasn't going to do anything with her "breeding request".

_**CHAPTER BREAK CHAPTER BREAKCHAPTERBREAKCHAPTERBREAK**_

Garrus stared at Wrex in horror, eyes wide and Shepard's words came back to him

"_Yuck it up, Vakarian…you're just making it worse when karma bites you in the ass"_

Garrus said to himself, "Well Spirits, if karma didn't have sharp teeth…" Realizing that everyone was looking at him, he tried to get his brain back in working order. Shepard was smirking, her eyes flashing with laughter; Wrex, Spirits damn him, was nearly as amused at Shepard, though he was actually chuckling at the expression on Garrus' face. And Grunt, well, he was just too excited and happy and he stared at Garrus expectantly. Garrus said, "Come on, Wrex….you're not serious?"

Wrex shrugged his massive shoulders and said, "I am serious…since you're Grunt's Battlemaster's second…and the most senior of Grunt's male Krannts, it's up to you to take him to the Female camp."

Garrus looked back and forth between Shepard and Wrex and spoke, wincing as he realized he was nearly whining, "But…can't you take him, Wrex?"

Wrex shook his head, "I'm his head of clan….not his male Krannt or his Battlemaster's second. Besides, I don't time to visit the female's camp for myself…let alone to broker contracts…."

Broker…WHAT? Thought Garrus, and he must have heard that wrong, though when he glanced at his mate, she was nearly bursting with amusement. Garrus said, "I thought the contracts were already….err, ready?"

Wrex shook his head, "He's been offered the breeding requests, but it's up to you to make sure that all the contracts are proper."

Garrus shook his head, "I have no idea what type of, err, rules to set in contracts."

Wrex shrugged, "you just need to make sure they know what they can and can't do with Grunt, what he can and can't do and the time limits."

IF it was possible for a Turian to become pale, Garrus had done it, "WHAT they can or can't do?"

But Wrex was already turning to walk away, taking Shepard with him. For a moment, Garrus considered shooting both of them. Then he reminded himself that Shepard would most likely take offence at that and kick his ass; and that _might_ be as embarrassing as what he was about to have to do. Maybe.

_**CHAPTER BREAK CHAPTER BREAKCHAPTERBREAKCHAPTERBREAK**_

Six hours later, Garrus stalked back from the female camp to Wrex's camp. He was hot, tired, irritated and had a lingering sense of embarrassment that might not go away for a very long time. He'd brokered the contracts for the breeding request, working with the Female Krogen Shaman and Grunt was now happily… Garrus blanched, NO, Spirits, he was not even going to THINK about what the Krogen adolescent was doing at this moment.

Garrus shuddered, then chuckled, he did, however, now have a much greater respect for the female Krogen. Some of the 'can and can't do's" were really interesting. One female had said Grunt could only hit her until she was unconscious twice, and _ONLY_ after penetration. Another had no such qualms, but Garrus had made sure that Grunt was protected from that one. Shepard would never forgive him if he had allowed Grunt to get killed before the Reapers even got here; even if he died with a grin on his face.

Garrus rolled his neck, his mandibles flaring slightly, all in all, he supposed, it hadn't been _THAT_ bad…though that lingering embarrassment wasn't completely going away. Some of the "can and can't do's" had been pretty damn embarrassing; even if it had been he and Shepard doing them. Garrus stopped that line of thinking immediately; he'd already had that problem a couple of time when making those contracts. Some of the, err, less violent suggestions that were raised were interesting; or would be if it were he and Shepard. At least twice when setting limits and boundaries on those items he'd found his hard suit to be more than a little uncomfortable. Idly, he wondered what Shepard would think of some of those…which led to him thinking of he and Shepard doing some of those; which led to another instance of his hard suit becoming uncomfortable. Sighing, Garrus tried to get his mind on something else, but after six hours of talking about nothing but sex acts and violence, that wasn't easy.

Suddenly Garrus smiled. He knew exactly what he was going to do to get back at Shepard for this. Chuckling and in a much better mood, he continued the walk to Wrex's camp.

_**CHAPTER BREAK CHAPTER BREAKCHAPTERBREAKCHAPTERBREAK**_

Garrus heard Shepard's laugh before he saw her and it made him grin. Her laughter had that effect on a lot of people, he mused. Her laughter was deep and uncontained, filled with happiness and amusement. As he rounded the corner of the rubble, he caught sight of his mate sitting on the arm of Wrex's 'throne'. Wrex and Shepard were talking and laughing and for just a moment, Garrus didn't want to disturb them. It wasn't often that Shepard could be like this; just a person, talking to a friend, being happy. No expectations, no pressure…just friendship, old stories and laughter. Then Shepard caught sight of him and raised a hand in a wave, which he returned as he made his way across the rubble to the raised dais that Clan Urdnot's throne saw on.

Wrex rumbled at him in amusement as Shepard smiled, amused but warming inviting too. Garrus felt an answering warmth; his mate had missed him and she told him so with her eyes. He turned to Wrex and said, "Glad to see you managed to keep Shepard out of trouble while I was gone…what did you two do all day?"

Wrex rumbled again and said, "Shepard and I killed some Pyjacks and took that beast of hers to the pits."

Shepard looked slightly uncomfortable for a moment, then said, "Urz won…apparently he's the Champion." Shepard smiled, but Garrus frowned, his mate had looked away from him and now seemed very interested in her gauntlet. But then the moment passed and Shepard grinned, "So, Garrus…how did the contract negotiations go?"

Garrus sent her a mock growl and glare and said, "Long. Embarrassing. Grunt is going to be here for three weeks…"

Before he could go further, Shepard turned to Wrex, who Garrus realized was no longer laughing, but looked stunned. Shepard held out her hand and said, "HA! Told you…come on, fork it over…"

Wrex sent her a glare that might have terrified most people, but Shepard kept grinning and finally Wrex pulled a credit chit out of his armor and handed it to Shepard. Shepard grinned and both turned back to the very confused Turian before them. Wrex said, "No one has ever been allowed to stay in the female camp longer than 10 days…Shepard bet me that Grunt would be there over two weeks. You ever get tired of trying to shoot people, maybe you should become a contract broker, Turian."

"HA! _**Trying**_ to shoot people? My kill count is higher than yours, Wrex." Shepard saw Wrex begin to bulk up and said,

"Ok boys, put em away…time to head out, if you're done playing daddy, Garrus?"

Wrex chuckled again as he settled back to the throne and Garrus glared at Shepard again, "Shepard, I swear if you say anything like that on the ship, especially in hearing range of Jack or Joker, I'll find a way to make you regret it…."

Wrex looked confused as Shepard grinned and explained, "Jack and Joker have this running gag, every time Garrus does anything they think is close to being in authority, they call him 'daddy'. It's gotten bad enough that half the crew and team are doing it now."

Wrex was still laughing 20 minutes later as Garrus and Shepard made their way back to the shuttle.

_**CHAPTER BREAK CHAPTER BREAKCHAPTERBREAKCHAPTERBREAK**_

AS they headed up the steps to the shuttle, Garrus thanked the Spirits that he and Shepard had decided to pilot the shuttle themselves this trip. Usually they had a pilot on board, but this time they'd decided to just take themselves and Grunt. Garrus moved to the pilot's seat and began running through pre-flight checks, frowning a little; it looked like Shepard had taken the shuttle somewhere while he'd been in the female camp. Shrugging, Garrus decided it was, technically, her shuttle, so she could take it when she wanted and went back to work.

Garrus brought up the power and called back to Shepard, "Ready to lift off, Shepard?" Garrus felt her arms wrap around his cowl from behind and the warmth of her lips against his fringe as he shuddered.

Shepard chuckled and said, "I'm always ready for you to 'lift off" Garrus…."

Garrus chucked as well; he was very glad she was in this mood, since he'd already had an idea of what do to with her. He took the shuttle out of the atmosphere and set it to geosynchronous orbit, setting the auto pilot before turning his chair totally around to see Shepard leaning against the door jab between the pilot's area and the seating area. She grinned at him, "Got a plan here, Vakarian?"

Garrus grinned at her, reaching out to take her wrist and pull her closer. She'd taken her gauntlets off already, as had he, so his talons wrapped around her wrists. She moved to perch on his lap, not easy when both wore hard suits. Garrus chuckled as Shepard laughed, she said, "Maybe we should continue this in the back?"

Garrus gave her a mock sad look and shook his head, "Always trying to get my armor off Shepard…I think you just love me for my body…"

Shepard laughed, "No, I also love you for your calibration abilities, remember?"

Garrus laughed, reaching for her hard suit seals, popping them on the chest piece; dropping the pieces on the floor. Shepard grinned, "Pretty anxious there, aren't you Garrus?", but she'd reached out and was popping his suit seals as well.

Garrus chuckled, "Back at you, Shepard…."

In a very short period of time, both were down to skin and Garrus reached out to cup her breast, running a gentle talon over her nipples, watching her face as she bit her lip and her head fell backwards as she moaned. Garrus purred as he leaned forward, sliding his tongue over her nipple as his hands wandered down her body, ghosting over her waist, her hips and back to cup her ass, pulling her closer to him. He kept his tongue on her nipples, lapping and flicking her as her hands wove their way back to his fringe and began to rub and caress him. He growled against her breast and she moaned, arching closer to him. Garrus used his mandible to flick over her breasts and she tugged at him, moaning, raising a knee to rub against his waist.

The feeling of her hands on his fringe and her knee on his waist, drove him over the edge and he began to sound that purring-growl with his sub-harmonics trilling with joy. Carefully, as though she were a precious piece of art, he lay her down on the blanket they'd spread on the floor. He moved back, gazing down at her, seeing her face flushed with desire, lips pouting as she mewed at his absence. Grinning, he lay down beside her, but avoided being pulled down on top of her as he raised on an elbow and slid a gentle talon from her chin down her body, stopping to circle her nipples, then down the valley between her breasts, over her belly and to the cleft between her legs. The closer he got to her mound, the more she tensed, and when he slid his talon in between her labia to caress her clit, she gasped and keened his name, arching up to him. He lowered his head, nuzzling and licking her face, her ear, her neck as his talons worked her clit. Gasping, she whimpered and arched to him, as he smiled. He worked her gently and slowly, bring her to the edge and sending her over to a languid, crashing climax.

Garrus watched Lia's face, watching her come back to herself, smiling down at her as she opened pleasure misted eyes. She smiled up at him, nearly purring herself as she stretched. She reached for his fringe, but he avoided her touch, catching her wrists in one of his and pulled her hands over her head. She frowned at him and he lowered his head, nuzzling her, "Trust me, amica?

Without hesitation, she nodded and he widened his mandibles once more, as he purred. Carefully, he began to move his talon on her clit again, making her keen and arch into his hand as he leaned over, watching her face. The emotions that chased themselves across her face as he pleasured fascinated him. She moaned and arched, writhing as he worked her slowly and carefully back to the edge again, then backed off as she opened her eyes, mewing in frustration. He lowered his head, nuzzling her ear as he whispered, purring, "Tell me what you want, amica…."

Lia moaned and tried to rub herself against his hand, so close to the breaking point it was almost painful. But Garrus kept his talon on her clit, but prevented her from forcing the issue. She glared at him, making him chuckled. Lia whimpered and arched, "Please, Garrus..."

Garrus chuckled, "All you have to do is tell me what you need, amica…", as he moved his talon on her clit a bit faster, making her moan and arch, then slowed down again.

"Garrus…please….I'm so close….makemecomeGarrusplease…..", Lia begged, arching to his touch and Garrus smiled, speeding up his touch until she cried out, going over the brink. He watched her face again, his plates fully shifted and his cock hard against her hip. As she came back to herself, he smiled at her, still holding her hands above her head. He moved so he was laying between her thighs, his cock straining as it just barely touched her entrance. She was soaking wet and he had to stop a moment, to regain control but even with her hands above her head, Lia proved she wasn't entirely helpless as she hooked a leg behind his and pulled him forward as she arched up. His cock entered her and the warm wetness and spasming of her tunnel from her climaxes made him thrust, nearly losing his mind.

Lia managed to work her hands from his and one hand went to his fringe while the other went to his waist. And between her caresses and his arousal from watching her come, he was too close to get back into control. He gripped her ass as she wrapped her legs around him, encouraging him as he thrust hard and fast. He heard her cry out, her fingers spasming on his waist and fringe as she came again and he couldn't hold back, with a roar, he came hard, thrusting deeper into her as his cock swelled keeping him inside her.

Garrus rested his head on the blanket beside hers, their cheeks touching, his mandibles moving idly. Lia half turned her head, her lips ghosting against his mandible as she said, "I love you, Garrus…"

Garrus chuckled, squeezing her ass as he whispered back, "I love you too, Lia…But Spirits, you're going to kill me…"

"ME? Who's the one who put on the auto pilot and started taking off my armor?" Shepard's voice held a smile, and was well and truly satisfied, a point Garrus took exceptional pride in.

Garrus licked and nipped her ear and whispered, "Guilty…and not at all sorry, amica…."

_**CHAPTER BREAK CHAPTER BREAKCHAPTERBREAKCHAPTERBREAK**_

Back on the Normandy, in their hard suits, they walked side by side to the elevator. The doors opened and Kaiden stood there. Garrus glanced at Lia, but she was simply smiling easily, "Hey Kaiden…what are you up too?"

Kaiden looked at Lia, and said softly, "I was heading to the armory, but the elevator came down here first…"

Lia chuckled, teasing the other man, "You seem to ride elevators a lot, Kaiden…is this a new hobby?";

Kaiden smiled back at her, as she and Garrus entered the elevator, "Hey, I have to do something in my copious spare time…" Lia chuckled and even Garrus smiled. Garrus couldn't help but glance at the man who shared the elevator with them. He could smell the sex on both he and Lia, and he was worried a bit that Kaiden would know what they'd been doing on the shuttle. But Kaiden seemed obvious, and slowly Garrus began to relax. He tended to forget that human's sense of smell was not very good. As the elevator rose, Kaiden and Lia talked and Garrus occasionally said something. Eventually, the elevator stopped at the CIC and Kaiden said, "My stop…see you guys later…."

As the doors closed and the elevator headed up to their quarters, Garrus relaxed against the elevator wall and sighed, "Spirits…I was sure he was going to smell the sex on us…"

Shepard frowned, looking up at him, "Are you saying I smell?"

Garrus frowned, that sounded like a trick question, "Nooo… I'm saying _we_ smell…like…err…sex…."

Lia turned to look at him firmly and she sounded gruff, "You know, Garrus…you tell me I stink an awful lot…" Garrus' mind flitted around trying to figure out what he could say to save himself, sure he'd insulted her. Then he looked at her and saw the amusement and laughter in her eyes and relaxed.

"Well…" Lia smacked him as the doors opened to the loft and he grinned at her, following her out of the elevator.

_**CHAPTER BREAK CHAPTER BREAKCHAPTERBREAKCHAPTERBREAK**_

Later that night, they lay in their nest, her head rested on his chest as his arms held her close and he stroked her back with his talon. He'd been thinking about this for a while, and now he finally got the courage to speak;

You know, I was thinking…" Garrus began, only to be interrupted by his mate jokingly saying

"Don't hurt yourself, Garrus", Shepard was dozing on his chest, her hand gently tracing the plates on his arms.

"Ha ha..no, Shepard, I'm serious…"

Shepard leaned up on her elbow and looked down at his face, nodding, "Ok…go on"

Now that he'd moved this to being serious, he hesitated. Taking a deep breath, he said, "After we're all done with this…the Reapers are dead….I was thinking that maybe we might want to…err…make this official."

Shepard looked down at Garrus, trying to keep herself calm; but part of her was absolutely thrilled in a way that she'd never thought possible. She'd never considered herself the "girly girl" who dreamed of weddings, white picket fences and babies. But she found herself thinking along those lines after being with Garrus. She was started out of her thoughts by Garrus, his sub-harmonics were going into overdrive, embarrassment, frustration, irritation, she understood those. But it was the grief in the sub-harmonics that nearly brought her to tears. She realized he'd taken her delay in answering as a bad thing.

Garrus began to move away from her, getting ready to crack a joke, make it seem like he'd been kidding, but Shepard clutched at him, bringing his face to hers, making him look into her eyes. He didn't want to, he never wanted to see pity in her eyes, not directed at him wanting to be permanently a part of her life. But when he looked, he saw she was crying, and despite the lack of sub-harmonics, he'd learned to read her eyes. Her eyes were filled with love…and joy.

"Yes….yes Garrus, I would love to make this official…"

Garrus let out a sigh of relief, "Don't scare me like that , amica…"

"I'm sorry…I wasn't trying to get out of it, I was thinking that I never really saw myself doing the wedding, marriage, kids thing…and now that I have you, I find myself thinking along that line."

Garrus looked surprised, "Well, Shepard…kids huh?"

Shepard grinned, she'd gotten better at reading his emotions and realized he wasn't worried, just surprised. "Did that scare you away, Garrus?"

"HA! You'd have to shoot me to get rid of me…and I'm getting much better at ducking!"

Shepard laughed, "Really? Shoot you to get rid of you? You mean that?"

Garrus widened his mandibles at her, but held her gaze as he said, with calm finality, "I do".

Shepard did a double take, gazing into his eyes to see if he might have any idea what he'd just said, and when she saw the look in his eyes; the devotion and love, she knew that he was well aware of the power of his words. She ran her hand up under his mandible and leaned in to touch her forehead against his and said, "I do too, Garrus…forever."


	16. Scene 13

Garrus used the plasma driver to adjust the calibration of the Thanx Cannon, being as careful and cautious as he could. After so many years, Garrus was well versed in calibrating these guns that he could do it in his sleep, but he was well aware that a single wrong move could undo a lot of hours of work. As he worked, Garrus considered with an amused huff, that it was odd for someone raised and trained as a cop to becomes a mechanic, even on guns. But he was damn good at it…

As Garrus worked, his thoughts busy, he didn't see the half loose wire he was working around; until he touched it with his bare talon and felt the shock of electricity explode through him. His last thought before he lost consciousness was "Spirits, it's going to take me _days_ to fix that damn cannon…I hope that we're not being attacked before that…"

_**CHAPTER BREAK CHAPTER BREAK CHAPTER BREAK CHAPTER BREAK**_

"Commander…there is a medical emergency in the Main Battery…I've already notified the doctor" Edi's voice sounded concerned, which should have been impossible, but wasn't.

Turning, Shepard rushed to the elevator, hitting the crew level without ever saying a word. Once the door of the elevator door shut, however, she said, her voice filled with terror, "What happened, Edi? Is Garrus ok? Is the Doc with him?"

Edi was obviously trying to keep the Commander calm as she said, "Officer Vakarian touched a live wire that had been damaged in the attack and not fixed as of yet. The doctor is with him, but I am not sure of his condition. I can say his heartbeat and respiration is elevated, but not to a dangerous level."

The elevator had never taken so long as it did this trip. When the door opened, Shepard rushed out, ignoring the crew and her team as she rushed to the main battery. Before she could get into the door, however, Zaeed grabbed her and pulled her to the side where he stood with Samara. "Hang on little girl…give the doc time to get a handle on it…."

Shepard gazed up into the old Merc face and while she knew that he was probably right, at this moment, with her mate lying so still beyond Zaeed's back, the only thing she thought of was getting to him. She spoke in a low, vicious voice, "Zaeed, if you don't get out of my way and take your hands off me, I'm going to space you…don't fuck with me at this moment…"

Zaeed gazed at her a moment, then glanced over at Samara before letting her go, holding his hands up a disgruntled look on his face. One tiny part of her mind knew she was going to have some serious ass kissing to get Zaeed to forgive her; but she'd deal with that later. Right now, the only thing she wanted…needed, was to get to her mate.

Shepard rushed to the main battery and over to where the Chakwas was kneeling on one side of Garrus as Gardner knelt on the other. The doctor was hooking Garrus up to a portable machine that Gardner held. Shepard threw herself down beside them and snapped, "Report, doctor…"

Chakwas snapped right back, "I'm a little busy here, Commander…I can save his life or answer your questions, which do you prefer?"

The Commander part of her disappeared entirely, as she whispered, "Oh god, Karin…is it…is it…" Sparing her a glance as she worked on Garrus, the doctor took pity on Shepard and said, her voice a little softer,

"I won't know for sure, Commander, until I get him to the med bay. I've got him immobilized, now we just need to lift him and get him to where I can examine him better. If you're going to be here, you can help me, grab the bottom of the stretcher on Gardner's side…please". Shepard stepped over Garrus far too still body and grabbed the bottom of the anti-grav stretcher and prepared to help lift it. Zaeed strode in, grabbing the food handle on the doctors side as Samara did the same at the head on the doctors' side. The doctor stood as they did and continued to work on Garrus as the four directed the stretcher to the med bay.

_**CHAPTER BREAK CHAPTER BREAK CHAPTER BREAK CHAPTER BREAK**_

Tali groaned, she wanted to be with Shepard up in the Med Bay, but after their argument the other day, she didn't feel she'd be welcomed. Turning her attention back to the board in front of her, Tali acknowledged to herself that Shepard had been right; since that day, she'd found several mistakes that she'd made. She worked carefully as she fought to keep her mind on the tasks, not on what was happening in the Med Bay. When Harris, one of the junior engineers walked into engineering, Tali glanced up and nodded, but turned right back to the board. She didn't really pay any more attention, until she heard the curse, then she turned just in time to see the cup of hot coffee that the man was carrying flying at her. Tali yelped, reaching up to swipe the cup away from her, and heard the alarm in her suit as it signaled a breach. Looking at her hand in shock, she saw the tiny tear that the broken edge of the cup had made when it hit her. Before she could really respond, however, a snap and alarm to her right had her snapping her head to the side to look at her panel. "KEELAH!" she screamed as she saw the smoke coming up from her panel. She scurried to the side and triggered the emergency shut down on the panel and transferred control to the other panel. Ignoring the feeling of her suit sealing off the limb, the alarm going off in her suit and the smoke coming up from the panel she'd just been working on, she got on the com and announced, "Engineers Donnelly and Daniels to the Engine room on the double." She ignored the junior engineer babbling at her in apology and worked feverishly on the backup panel to try and stabilize the information that was being slowly shorted out. Half of the last six hours work was being corrupted and she was fighting a losing battle.

"Creator Tali-Zorah, I have noticed that you are having an issue, may I be of assistance?" Tali growled, the last being she wanted to speak to was the Geth, but the work she'd been doing was too important to lose. She'd have to re-create it and that would take longer than she cared to spend; especially with the suit breach and the fever she could already feel coming on.

"Yes, Legion…can you trace the data from my panel and salvage what you can?"

"Yes Creator Tali-Zorah…I will do what I can".

Half an hour later, Tali sagged against the backup panel, "Thank you Legion…that saved me a great deal of work."

"Shall I attempt to extrapolate the missing data, Creator Tali-Zorah?"

Tali knew that she needed to get to the med bay, she was already feeling the effects of what promised to be a very bad infection. "Yes, Legion…that would be…helpful"

"Are you unwell, Creator Tali-Zorah? This unit detects some changes to your verbal inflections."

"I'm fine, Legion…but thank you."

Gabby looked over at her, concerned as she said, "Tali…you need to go to the med bay."

Tali nodded, it was taking too much energy to do more than nod. Slowly, she turned and began to trudge to the elevator. Gabby and Ken exchanged concerned glances, but they had their hands full.

Tali entered the elevator and leaned against the door. She was so tired…the fever was already raging in her, and she knew she needed to get to the med bay, and into a clean room as soon as possible. But she was just so tired. The Elevator opened on the Crew quarters and she looked out, trying to gather the energy to leave the elevator. As she was trying to gather the energy, a soft, dignified voice spoke next to her, "Tali? You seem to have a suite breech…can you make it to the medical bay?" Tali looked up and saw two blue Asari. She frowned, they only had ONE Asari onboard; Tali looked into Samara's concerned eyes and tried to assure the Justicar that she could make it, but instead, she keeled over into the Asari's arms.

"Doctor, we have an emergency…" Shepard looked over from her seat at Garrus side and cursed. Samara walked into the medical bay carrying Tali in her arms. Samara laid Tali on a bed and Chakwas hurried over and began to work on Tali. Shepard strode over to the bed and began to help Chakwas with Tali.

Samara stood back and Shepard gave her a nod, "We've got this, Samara…thank you." Samara nodded and left.

Chakwas cursed softly, "She's got a suit breech and, I believe, an infection…"

Shepard nodded, "I see that…what do I need to do?" Chakwas directed her and she assisted as they got Tali stabilized, antibiotics, pain meds and sedatives flowed into Tali's system and Chakwas was preparing a clean room. Shepard sat on a chair between the two beds, keeping a careful eye on both of them. Grumbling, Shepard muttered to herself, "At least it's not me this time."

_**CHAPTER BREAK CHAPTER BREAK CHAPTER BREAK CHAPTER BREAK**_

Samara left the medical bay and walked to the mess, picking up a plate and choosing several items of food before sitting down. Kaiden was sitting alone, once more, at the table in the far back and Samara decided that her desire to have a calm, quiet place to sit and eat dictated that she go sit with the Alliance soldier. She headed back to the table and said, "Major Alenko, I wondered if I might join you at the table?"

Kaiden quickly put his coffee cup down and stood up, gesturing to the seat across from him as he said, "OF course…it's an honor."

Samara smiled at him, sitting down, inclining her head to acknowledge his words. "There are times that seeking a quiet place to sit and think can be very difficult in a ship filled with people. While I understand they mean well, most humans, I have found, do not understand quiet contemplation." Kaiden nodded at that, then was blissfully silent as they both ate their meals.

AS she ate, Samara indulged in one of her guilty pleasures; people watching. Kaiden noticed and said, sounding a bit surprised, "You like to watch people too?"

Samara drew her attention back to the human Alliance soldier and said, "Yes, it is something I have always enjoyed. People are interesting, no matter the species; and when they are not aware they are being observed they act in a most natural and intriguing manner."

Kaiden smiled, "Yeah, I know what you mean…I just didn't know that Asari were people watchers too…"

Samara gave him a gentle smile and said, "I do not know if most Asari do this, perhaps it is more of personal interest. However, it has come in handy at times; being able to read unspoken clues can have positive reactions, such as the situation with Tali-Zorah a bit ago".

Kaiden put his cup down, looking suddenly concerned, "Is Tali ok? What happened?"

If Samara was confused by his interest, she didn't show it. Instead she said, calmly, "I found her in the elevator while I was on my way to the dining area. She was ill, so I took her to the med bay."

Kaiden half rose, glancing in the direction of the medical bay, then a strange expression flitted across his face and he sat back down. Samara watched him avidly, saying, "Is there something wrong?"

Kaiden shook his head, but the misery on his face belied that. He said, "I was going to go check on her, but god knows I'm probably the last person that Shepard wants to see right now…and she's still in there with Garrus." Samara observed him a few moments, then shook her head and said,

"I do not believe the Commander would be unwelcoming if you wished to check on your friends. You are friends with Garrus and Tali, correct? As well as Commander Shepard?"

Kaiden gazed into his now empty coffee cup and muttered, "I was, once."

Their conversation was interrupted as an alarm sounded and both looked toward the kitchen to see the cooking area on fire. Garner was grabbing a fire extinguisher from a holder, pulling it hard to release it, he didn't see Jack coming up behind him to help. There was a dull "crack" as the fire extinguisher came in sudden contact with Jack's forehead. Jack stumbled backwards, directly into the genetic perfect body of Miranda, who reached out a hand to catch her automatically. Jack dropped, taking Miranda with her and Miranda ended up hitting the back of her head on the cooking area, which was still on fire. Gardner, intent on the fire, sprayed the extinguisher, covering the cooking area, the food and both Jack and Miranda with the powder.

Jack came around, covered in white powder and laying back against Miranda and came to exactly the wrong conclusion. With a bellow of pure rage, Jack elbowed Miranda in the side of the head, and Miranda returned the blow with the heel of her hand. Joker yelled out, "CAT FIGHT" and the two began to brawl in earnest, though to their credit, neither used their biotics.

Gardner tried to get out of the way, but slipped in the powder and hit the ground, groaning loudly.

Joker was trying to both stay out of the way and keep the 'catfight' in sight. As a consequence, when the coffee cup came flying in his direction thanks to a hard shove by Jack, he barely managed to get duck, then gasped, going to his knees, holding his ribs and moaning.

Samara sighed and strode forward, using her biotics to separate the brawling women on the floor, but to her surprise, the two women turned on her, and actually joined together. Miranda sent a barrier and Jack slammed her, which picked Samara up and slammed her down on the edge of the table. That might have ended it, except when she hit the table, it popped off its base and the edge hit Kaiden under the chin, snapping his head back, eyes rolling back to his head as he collapsed, falling backwards over the bench which then flipped over and landed on his abdomen and crotch.

Jacob rushed over from the elevator and tried to grab Miranda, who moved quickly to avoid him, driving a knee into his groin, as Jack drove an elbow into the back of his neck. Jacob hit the floor like a sack of flour and Jack and Miranda turned back to each other as a sharp order, snapped out from a voice filled with authority froze everyone in the room,

"ENOUGH"

Shepard observed the room and the people in it, preparing to take them all to task, when a shrill yelp from the other side of the mess startled her. She spun around and gaped as Mordin came rushing in like he had a crazed Varren on his tail…and split second later, Shepard groaned because he did in fact, have a Varren chasing him. Mordin made a beeline for the one place that he knew was safe, Commander Shepard. Just as Mordin scurried behind her muttering about never being unarmed again, the Varren caught sight of Shepard and made a noise that was something between a yelp and a howl and leapt at her, his front paws hitting her shoulder as his face went directly for her own. There was more than one scream as Shepard was knocked backward, the Varren riding her down to the ground and both of them sliding on the white powder back, knocking Miranda's legs out from under her and coming to stop thanks to Jack, who cushioned Shepard between her and the counter.

The Varren seemed intent on eating Shepard's face off, but instead of blood and teeth, there was thick, oozing saliva and a reptilian tongue licking her from chin to the top of her head.

"Urz, down….", the Varren dropped obediently to a crouch, looking up at Shepard expectantly.

Shepard looked up and realized that Dr. Chakwas had come out of the medical lab and was standing there, staring in shock at the scene before her. And then Shepard beheld a sight that was both joy and humiliation inspiring; Garrus stood there, mandible tight to his face, eyes wide in shock at the scene before him.

The entire mess was covered with white powder, Samara was barely conscious on the floor, a tabletop on top of her. Kaiden was out cold, laying flat out between the wall and the bench that had obviously fallen against him when he'd hit it. Gardner was laying flat on his back, groaning loudly. Joker was sitting against a counter, holding his ribs and rocking slightly. Around the edges of the mess stood most of the crew, watching the scene with obvious shock. Jacob was curled in fetal position between the tables and kitchen, making a sound that Garrus had never heard before, and hoped to never hear again. Miranda was flat on her back, her impressive breasts nearly popping out of her torn uniform. Jack was sandwiched between Shepard and the cook area and Mordin stood there looking at the Varren with shock on his face.

And then his eyes landed on Shepard, who sat on the ground, the Varren sitting obediently beside Shepard and Shepard, covered in white powder, her hair sticking straight up and held there with copious amounts of Varren saliva. Shepard gazed back at Garrus, her expression mixed between joy and shock.

Garrus was speechless for a minute, then he said, "I really hope that Edi had recordings on for this…because I'd hate to think I'd missed all the fun because I was unconscious…."

_**CHAPTER BREAK CHAPTER BREAK CHAPTER BREAK CHAPTER BREAK**_

Dr. Chakwas stood next to a newly showered Commander Shepard and gave her a verbal report, "Joker has three broken ribs, Gardner pulled all the muscles in his neck, he'll be fine, but the next few days will probably be cold food; Gardner also has some lung irritation from the fire powder as do Jack and Miranda. Jack has a broken hand and her elbow has a pretty spectacular bruise. Miranda pulled the muscles from her knee, which will keep her sidelined for a couple of weeks and six stiches under her breast where something cut her. Samara has a mild concussion and is going to be very sore for a few days. Kaiden has a nasty case of whiplash and a fractured jaw from the table…oh, and a pulled groin muscle from the bench, I suppose. Jacob probably came off the worst with a severely swollen testicle. I thought he might have a rupture, but luckily he doesn't, just severe bruising. And, of course, you have pulled muscles in your lower back."

Shepard shook her head, then glanced at Mordin, who glared at the Varren that sat beside her, she cleared her throat and said, "Come on Mordin… I said I was sorry for Urz chasing you…he was just lonely and wanted to play." Mordin sniffed indignantly, but said nothing. She sighed and turned back to Dr. Chakwas, "And Tali and Garrus?"

Chakwas shook her head, "Tali has a cut on her left wrist and an infection, but luckily the antibiotics have already taken effect and she's well on her way to recovery. And Garrus is going to be sore for a few days, and he needs to rest, but the electricity didn't do any lasting damage."

Mordin continued to glare at Urz, but said, "Mess hall cleaned up now, all fire extinguisher powder cleared and furniture repaired."

Shepard nodded, she was exhausted, but she tried to stay alert as she said, "Thank you both…this has been…interesting. I'm not sure what the hell happened today, but I'm hoping like hell it's over now."

Mordin and Chakwas shared a look, then Chakwas turned to Shepard and said, "Commander…do you know what today is?"

Shepard frowned, was it a holiday she'd forgotten? She tried to figure out what the date was, but finally gave up and said, "Sorry…no clue."

Chakwas said, "It's August the 13th."

Shepard cast her mind around trying to figure out what Chakwas was saying, but she had nothing. Shrugging, she said, "I'm sorry…I just can't get it…is August 13th something special?" Mordin and Chakwas exchanged a look, then Chakwas said, "Do you know what the actual day of the week is?" Again, Shepard shook her head, beginning to be irritated. If this was important, why weren't the two doctors saying it out right.

"It's Friday, Commander"

And then Shepard put it together…

Friday the 13th . And apparently Murphy's law had been in full force all day. She groaned and said, "Great…Just what we need, superstitions coming true in addition to reapers and court cases and bloody wars. That's it…I'm going to my quarters….I'm done."

Chakwas nodded, "I agree Commander…you need to rest…. Due to the…err…over flow of patients, I've sent Garrus up to the your quarters with orders to rest. But Commander, I'm serious when I say that both of you need to _**REST**_…save the hanky panky for another day."

Shepard shook her head, "You can count on it, Doc…with my luck, I'd end up having anaphylaxis or slipping against his leg spurs or something…."

AS Shepard left the medical bay heading for the elevators, all she wanted was to go up to her mate and curl up with him and sleep the rest of this accursed day away. But she had one more things he had to do before she got to her quarters. She took the elevator down to the Engineering section and headed over to Zaeed's quarters. Turning to Urz outside the cabin, she ordered him, "SIT! You stay there and be good for me, ok?" The Varren seemed to understand because he sat down, tongue hanging out of his mouth.

Shepard buzzed the door, waiting for the gruff answer before entering the room. Zaeed was working on his rifle, taking it apart, cleaning it and putting it back together. He glanced at her, then went back to his rifle without saying anything. Sighing, Shepard said, "Zaeed, I'm sorry…I was out of line down there. I'm hoping that you can forgive me and we can move past this…but I understand that you're angry…"

"I'm not angry"

Shepard cocked her head to the side, he didn't sound angry, as a matter of fact he didn't sound any different than he did every other time they talked. Shepard made a concerted effort to speak to each and every member of her team and crew as often as possible. But she had to admit that she spent more time than most with Zaeed. The old Merc had such a history and she really did enjoy listening to him; and she learned a lot from him. If she'd damaged the relationship with Zaeed, she'd regret it a lot. In some cases, she supposed she saw Zaeed as a father figure; one that she actually wanted to spend time with. Despite the flirting, suggestions and innuendos, she didn't think of him that way, and she was relatively sure he didn't think of her that way either.

Shepard started to speak, but Zaeed interrupted her, "Long time ago, there was this girl. She was…beautiful. A bit like you, as a matter of fact. Strong, confident…and a spitfire. She was a soldier, Alliance through and through. We met on moon in a system…well, aint the point. I'd taken a contract to remove an obstacle to a very important man. I was young…so bloody young…swaggering and so sure of my own immortality. We'd not met the Turian's yet, and the human race was just getting around the relays. Anyway…I met this girl and I.." Zaeed hesitated, then sighed, "I bloody fell hard for her. It was August of '53, and life was really interesting. This girl and I, we spent a lot of time together. She was ambitious…knew what she wanted. She wanted to be a Captain of her own ship. She was married…but it didn't matter to us. I think...I think she fell as hard for me as I did for her…and I was a lot prettier back then, let me tell you little girl."

Shepard listened, fascinated. She'd listened to many stories from Zaeed, but never this personal. She couldn't help but wonder why now…and what this had to do with her apology. But she kept listening as Zaeed continued, "Anyway….to cut this borin ga'dam story short, hookin up with a merc wasn't gonna help her build her career, and I had nothin to offer her. But the months we three weeks we spent together were the best of my bloody life."

Zaeed glanced at her, and grinned, "I bet your wonderin why I'm tellin this ga'dam story, right? Jus before we split, I took a bad move and got shot. I hit the ground and my girl…she worked her way past mercs and paid killers, and let me tell you somthin, little girl…Nothing was standin in her way to get ta me. Nothin was gonna ga'dam keep her from my side…not mercs, or bullets or death his bloody fuckin self. I've never seen such drive, til today. I shoulda known not to get between a woman and the ga'dam man who won her heart."

Shepard swallowed hard, "Thank you, Zaeed…I appreciate that…and the story. Can I ask a question?"

Zaeed barked a laugh, "You wanna know what happened with my girl, right?" Shepard nodded and Zaeed turned back to his rifle, "Not everythin is meant to be, little girl…sometimes, love jus aint enough. But I know that wherever she is, she thinks of me; and she loves me jus the same as I do her." Zaeed cleared his throat, not looking at Shepard, giving her the chance to hide the tears in her eyes. She started to say something, but Zaeed cut her off, "you better get back to that Turian bastard of yours, little girl…take it from an old man, don't waste it. Love is something that don't happen all the time… and once it's gone, it's gone. You can't recapture the past, and you can't go back and change shit."

Shepard wanted to say something, do something to help Zaeed, but the Merc was holding his shoulders tense, not looking at her and clearly dismissing her. She turned and headed out of the room, going toward the elevator to go back to Garrus. Zaeed waited for the door to close and put the rifle down; he'd already cleaned it well. It had just been something to keep his hands busy and a place to keep his eyes that weren't on Shepard. He sighed, and reached into his back pocket, pulling out an old fashioned photograph. It had been folded and re-folded, taped together when it threatened to come apart. Zaeed unfolded it, running a gentle finger over the figure of a woman, standing beside a man. Even without the scar down his face, it was easy to recognize the man as Zaeed. The Zaeed in the photograph was looking down at the woman by his side, and the missing scar wasn't what had really transformed his face; it was the love, the adoration in his expression that made him look so different. The woman beside him was beautiful, standing up straight and tall that gave her away as a soldier. She over at Zaeed from nearly the same height, and like his expression, her was fierce and full of love, but her smile...her smile was very familiar to another strong, powerful woman he knew. Softly, Zaeed whispered, "Ahhh, my Hannah…you did good, love…you…we… did real good…."


	17. Scene 14

Kaiden sat in the briefing room, silently just enjoying the feeling of being alone in the quiet. Being aboard the Normandy had a lot of things to enjoy, but the lack of privacy wasn't one of them. Most of Shepard's carefully collected Team had private rooms, but he, as a representative of the Alliance, bunked in the crew quarters. Sighing, he felt the bitterness, if he'd have trusted Shepard, joined her on Horizon, he wondered if things might be different. Shepard had told him that it wouldn't have mattered for their relationship, if it could have been called that, but he wondered if he'd have been part of her handpicked Team. He'd never know, and he was incredibly thankful that Shepard had allowed him to be useful now. Working his ass off to help put the Normandy back together was backbreaking, exhausting work; but at least he was keeping busy.

Kaiden planned to ask Shepard if he could accompany her on the missions she occasionally ran. The crew of the Normandy seemed to accept him somewhat; and the Team was at least polite, though none had been overly friendly; including Jacob, who ran the team he was working with. So when the door opened and Jack, the outrageous and powerful biotic with a chip on her shoulder the size of New York on her shoulder, walked into the room, he was more than a little surprised.

"Hey Alliance…why're you hiding in here?", Jack strode over to where Kaiden was sitting, her voice strident as normal.

Kaiden sighed and said, "Just looking for a little peace and quiet." He hoped that Jack would take the hint, but she plopped herself down on the table and he sighed; no such luck.

"So…you still sniffing after Shepard?" Jack was always blunt. Usually Kaiden found that refreshing, if a bit overwhelming. But on this topic, it was irritating. He didn't want to discuss that at the best of times, let alone with the certifiable biotic.

But Jack was looking at him expectantly, so he said, "I guess I'll always love Shepard, but I respect her and Garrus and their relationship." He hoped that might be enough, but apparently Jack was in the mood to be social, and he was the target of that urge.

"Hell, Alliance…you need to get laid. The Commander is happy and there ain't nothing that's gonna fuck that up. Ya hear me?"

Kaiden sighed, then nodded, "I'm not going to interfere in her relationship, Jack. I respect her too much for that. And Garrus too…he's a good guy and I guess he's better for her than I was."

"Better to her, anyway…least he trusts her and believes in her…"

Kaiden sighed again, "Look, Jack? No offence, but my relationship with Shepard, past or present is really not any of your business."

Jack simply observed him for a few long minutes, then stood up, shrugging as she said, "Whatever Alliance…I'm just telling you, you fuck with Shepard, I'll fuck you up.", she stalked to the door and left.

Kaiden sighed, so much for solitude. Standing up, Kaiden headed out of the communication room. He didn't get far before he nearly had a heart attack as the Japanese woman, Kasumi appeared out of nowhere directly in front of him. She smiled at him and Kaiden suspected that she knew how she'd startled him; and was amused by it. He said, "Ms. Goto…how are you?"

Kasumi grinned and said, "Dry as a desert…would you like to have a drink with me, Kaiden?"

Kaiden stared at the pretty woman, surprised, and then said, "Uh…sure…?"

Kasumi grinned at him and said, linking her arm through his, "Then come on…I have a bar in my room…."

Half an hour and two drinks later Kaiden was feeling decidedly loopy. He glanced at Kasumi, who smiled brilliantly. He frowned at her and said, noticing with surprise that his voice was slurred, "What…what was in those drinks, Kas…Kasmi…Kasumi?" Kasumi laughed and Kaiden thought it was one of the most beautiful things he'd ever heard; musical, like bells. Looking at her a bit blurrily, he waited for her to answer his question…but suddenly figured out he had no idea what he'd even asked.

Kasumi smiled and said, "So…Kaiden. You and Shepard."

Kaiden glared, or at least he thought he was glaring. He raised a finger and pointed it in her general direction and said, "Thas none of your business", and made a sliding gesture with the hand he'd been pointing with. Kasumi didn't seem to take offence, as a matter of fact she gave him another of those delicious drinks. Some tiny part of him wondered if he should keep drinking, but the majority of him really didn't want to stop. So took a drink and felt the sweet warmth slide down his throat and it brought him a memory.

Shepard beneath him, his fingers gently pinching her nipples as she moaned; tasting her, feeling her hands on his body, strong legs wrapped around his waist as he thrust inside her. She was so beautiful, warm and willing…laid out on the bed in her quarters.

He glanced at Kasumi, and saw the smile on her face and realized he'd spoken his thoughts out loud. Kasumi said, "I can tell you loved her very much…how long were you together?"

Kaiden knew that he shouldn't be talking about this, but he couldn't seem to keep his mouth shut, "It wasn't that long…we made love just before we hit Ilos. But I've loved her so long…she's so beautiful and strong. After that, we were so busy…chasing Seren; defeating Sovereign. There just wasn't time for much romance, but I tried. I'd go to her quarters and try to help her with paperwork, or take on some of her general stuff to give her a break. She was so tired. But she flirted with me, we shared so many special times, even if there wasn't much alone time."

Kaiden's eyes had gone soft, yearning as he remembered that time. It had been stressful, hectic, scary as hell. But it had also been the most special time of his life. He told Kasumi this, and was a little surprised when she said, "So…after killing Sovereign, did you and Shep get some time together?"

"A week…the most special, blissful time of my life; we went to a little resort on Calypso and had such a wonderful time. I really felt like it was the beginning ; I even bought her a ring."

Kasumi started, surprised. But she didn't interrupt him, just let him keep going.

"God I was so happy. I could see us, married, having kids. A little house on Mindoir, working together, assigned there as peacekeepers. I mean, I know that Lia is a Spectre, but even if she wanted to do that part time, she could. Or she could quite being a Spectre; she'd want to anyway once the kids started coming." Kaiden was on a roll now and didn't see the shocked and horrified expression on Kasumi's face. She tried to keep her voice as non-judgmental as possible and said, "How many times did you and Shep actually make love?"

Kaiden got a dreamy expression on his face and Kasumi had to fight to keep a straight face as he said, "Three times…the most perfect love making in the universe. We planned to spent two weeks together after the next mission…but then…" and tears filled Kaiden's eyes, welling over and sliding down his cheeks as he said, his voice dropped to a whisper, "then she disappeared, died…and I felt like my life was over. I shouldn't have let her go after Joker…I should have gone with her, ignored her order…but I let her go and she died."

Kaiden's pain was so deep and clear that Kasumi felt tears pricking her eyes, but she kept her silence as Kaiden kept talking, his voice shaking with emotion, "For months, I felt like I was half alive; like part of me had died with her." Kaiden's voice dropped to a hoarse, agonized whisper, "Sometimes I wished I had."

Kaiden made an obvious effort to gain control of himself and Kasumi re-filled his empty glass and watched as he took another gulp of it, before he went on. "I'd finally gotten past it a little, at least I'd begun to feel like I might be partially alive again. I was moving on, at least a little. I'd thrown myself into work, and I've always been good at what I do. Then Horizon. God, I was a dick, but seeing her again, it just brought back all the pain of living without her, of knowing that I should have died with her. At least I know that actually died…on Horizon, thought she'd just stayed away from me, hiding for some reason. Because I wasn't good enough for the illustrious Commander Lia Shepard"

Kasumi heard the anger in his voice, though she doubted if he'd ever acknowledge it. She kept her tongue as Kaiden went on, "The fucked up thing is, I know that she and I could be good together, if she'd stop punishing me for letting her get killed." Kasumi's eyes widened, that was something she'd not expected. "We'd be so good together, Kasumi…I could be the guy she wants, that she needs. Better than Garrus, for god's sake! I mean, he's not even human; he's just an egotistical, arrogant, ass kissing _TURIAN_ for god's sake. What the _fuck_ does she _see_ in him? Can you tell me? I mean, he's not human; for fuck's sake, Lia's mom fought against them in the First Contact war. You can't fucking tell me that she doesn't see how…how fuckin perverted it is!"

Kasumi sat back, letting Kaiden talk, but she smiled. The uptight Alliance officer had a potty mouth when he was drunk. She filed that little tid bit aside, for future use and returned to listening to his rant.

"…how does she fuck that? I mean, do they even have dicks? He can't be bigger than me, or better than me, because Lia and I, we just fit together. If she'd just stop playing with Garrus and get over her anger with me, I know we could be good together."

Kaiden was silent a moment, and Kasumi thought he might be either too drunk to continue, or perhaps he'd a run out of ire. But then he continued, "We're soul mates, she just won't see it. I think she's with Garrus because he kisses her ass and she likes the power." Kasumi's eyes widened, but she was more surprised a second later when he said, "and I'm going to make her see it. Once she's back on Earth, she'll need me; need someone to be there for her and Garrus won't be there. I just have to get her back to Earth, where she can be taken care of properly. She'll see that this thing with Garrus is an abnormality, that she needs me. All I have to do is bide my time…and once I have her with me, on Earth…I'll have her back where she deserves to be, where she should be."

"I love her so much, Kasumi. I just want her to be happy, to be complete. And you're human; you understand, right? Human's should be with humans; being with aliens is just…wrong." As he talked through the last bit, she heard his words slurring more, as he began to lose consciousness. Kasumi watched him, carefully considering his words, trying to decide what to do. He was the representative of the Alliance, and if something happened to him, then they might end up enemies. She was used to being a wanted fugitive; but she doubted Shep would be able to be one. Shep had far too much honor for Kasumi's comfort sometimes.

Kasumi watched Kaiden, saying out loud, "Edi…did you get that on a recording?"

The disembodied voice of the ships AI spoke, "Yes, Ms. Goto, all of Major Alenko's statements were recorded. Would you like me to send a copy to Commander Shepard?"

"NO! Definitely not, Edi. Right now, let's keep this between us, ok?"

If it was possible, Edi sounded…concerned, "I'm not sure it's a wise decision to keep this from the Commander, Ms. Goto…"

Kasumi shook her head, "I'm not saying we won't tell her, Edi; but just for now, until I can get some help with this, let's not bother her. He's not saying that he's going to do anything right now, right?"

Edi's voice sounded cautious as she said, "Correct. He stated that he would do nothing to advance his plans until the Commander is in Alliance custody"

"Right", Kasumi continued, "so we have some time. I just want to get things…situated and organized before we bring this to the Commander's attention"

Edi sounded a bit concerned, "Very well, Ms. Goto…but I will not contain this information if I believe that there is a threat to the Commander."

Kasumi nodded, "I understand, Edi…but if it doesn't come to that, just give me some time to get all our ducks in a row."

Edi sounded confused, "I am unsure of the necessity of including Earth Fowl in this situation , Ms. Goto…"

Kasumi laughed and spent the next few minutes explaining the idiom to the AI, as she considered what to do with the new information.


	18. Scene 15

Shepard stirred and reached for her mate, finding his side of the bed empty, she whimpered; but the sheets and pillow were still warm and carried his scent so she smiled and snuggled down, not willing to get up yet. Frowning, she realized she'd missed his vocalizing today and mewed; she'd gotten used to it and really did enjoy waking up to her mate vocalizing (not singing, he took offence at that word) for her. She raised her head, pushed her hair out of her face and sat up, the sheets falling off the top of her naked body. But she didn't care…the only one here to see it was Garrus and he was very familiar with her body. Looking around the cabin, she saw Garrus sitting on the couch, Urz sitting directly in front of him, tongue lolling out the side of his mouth. The two predators glared at each other and she heard her mate say, "I'm not sure why Lia brought you up here…well, scratch that, I am sure. It's for the same reason she has a space hamster and fish; she just can't help herself. BUT, if you're going to stay, we need to get some ground rules set, ok?"

The Varren cocked his head to the side and made a sound like a huffing whine and Garrus went on. "Ok, first of all, _***I'M***_ dominant, got it? She's _**MY**_ mate and while I appreciate that you love her, you're a definite second to me." The Varren cocked his head the other way, but Garrus must have seen something in his eyes, because he went on, "ok. No relieving yourself outside the areas Edi has set aside for it. And if I catch you digging, chewing, peeing or otherwise damaging my armor, or my mates, I'll make sure you have an unfortunate accident. You've already pissed off Mordin, and he's a master at poisons. We can make it look accidental; a spaceship is no place for a Varren after all." A whine came from the Varren and Garrus said, "I mean it…no teeth on the armor or weapons, got it?"

A few moments of silence, then Garrus went back on… "ok…look. Lia is under a tremendous strain. She's facing crap that nobody should face and she's the first line in a battle that will save the entire universe. So she deserves all the good, loving and relaxing times she can get. For whatever reason, she loves you; and you're going to make sure that she gets it from you, right? So, we're on the same page, right? Oh, wait…one more thing. The furniture is off limits, got it? The nest is my mate's and mine….and the other furniture is not made for a Varren. So you keep your reptilian ass on the floor, right? Otherwise, I'll put you in a cage in the cargo hold…with Grunt." A sad whine came from the Varren, and after glaring at him for a few moments, Garrus sighed, "Ok, look….maybe I can find you a pillow or bed or something. But no promises…." A happier whine, but still sad and Garrus said, irritated, "Fine…you can get on the couch if no one else is using it. But **NO DROOLING**!"

Lia couldn't help but smirk and apparently Garrus and Urz heard her, because they both turned to her. She sat up and grinned, "Good to see you're making friends there, Garrus…."

Garrus' mandibles were held tight to his face as he said, with false irritation, "Not friends…he's a menace and I can't see why you brought him to the Normandy…", despite the irritation in his voice, Lia could hear the amusement in his sub-harmonics.

Lia grinned, "He was sad, Garrus…Wrex said that he was just pining for me…I couldn't let him stay there and be upset… I guess Varren bond to their master's and it hurts them when they feel abandoned…."

If Garrus had possessed eyebrows, they'd have been into his non-existent hairline by now. Since he possessed none of those things, he simply sat and looked at her as she fidgeted. Finally he said,, "You brought him up here when I was with Grunt at the female's camp, didn't you?"

Lia's bottom lip was caught between her teeth as she nodded, looking at him, but he could see something in her eyes that bothered him. She sighed and said, miserably, "I'm sorry…I wanted to tell you, but I knew you'd be upset. If you're really upset about it, I guess I can get rid of him….", she glanced at Urz, who seemed to sense his mistresses distress and whined, moving over to the nest and standing up on his hind legs to rest his head on her hands where they rested sat on the nest edge. Garrus sighed, even if he wanted her too, he knew she wasn't going to get rid of her newest foundling…she collected all manner of creatures…the Varren was just the latest.

Garrus watched her hands, which had been fidgeting calm as she stroked the head of the Varren. His eyes softened and he stood, moving to the nest, his hand going to her head, gently carding her hair as he said, "He's fine, amica…it's ok." Lia raised her face, a tremulous smile and Garrus shook his head. She had such a huge task on her shoulders, if keeping a pet Varren made her happy for just a minute, then he'd do anything it took to give her that. He widened his mandibles at her, leaning over and nuzzling her temple, pressing his lip plates to her as temple as he kept carding her hair and his other hand moving to stroke down her face as he said, "I love you, Lia…"

She smiled at him, standing up and running her arms around his waist as she said, "I love you too, Garrus…thank you for understanding…."

_**CHAPTER BREAK CHAPTER BREAK CHAPTER BREAK CHAPTER BREAK**_

The door to the Commander's quarters opened and Urz strutted out, heading to the elevator. The elevator arrived and the door opened, and Urz stepped into the car. The doors opened to the CIC and Urz headed out of the elevator, ignoring the shocked and surprised looks and exclamations by the crew as he made his way to the airlock. Joker looked at him as he walked up and said, "You know…this is just freaky…." But the Varren ignored him and moved to a box beside the airlock, grabbing a pad and carrying it into the airlock. Joker, not really wanting to look, but unable to avoid it, cocked his head to watch. The Varren dropped the pad in the center of the airlock and Joker looked away, making a disgusted face, "Ewww…that's gross…"

Edi spoke, "It seems to be the most favorable method of maintaining the hygiene of the ship with the Varren's presence."

Urz did his business, using the pad; once he was finished, he dragged the pad carefully to the edge of the airlock and walked back out of the airlock, and stood up on his hind legs and pushed a button. The door cycled closed and the sound of the external door sounded. His duty done, the Varren headed back toward the elevator and stepped in when the doors opened, standing up on his hind legs to push the button to the mess, where he knew his Mistress was with her mate.

_**CHAPTER BREAK CHAPTER BREAK CHAPTER BREAK CHAPTER BREAK**_

Urz exited the elevator at the crew quarters, cocking his head to listen. He heard his Mistresses voice and whined softly, giving a soft huff of joy. Trotting around the corner, Urz stopped momentarily to gaze around the room. Trotting toward the kitchen area, he rose on his hind legs on the counter, careful to stay away from the actual food. For some reason, some of his Mistresses other followers didn't like it when he got close to their food; especially the slight, fast man who had been playing with him when he'd first gotten out of his crate. He looked at the male, noting that his spikes on his head were uneven, and made a "hoof" sound at the slight, fast male glared at him. Urz didn't understand why this creature felt such animosity toward him, but his Mistress had told him to _**BE GOOD**_, which meant he was supposed to be friendly, but not too friendly, with everyone. He looked back at the counter just in time to see the food giver, put some food in a bowl and sit it down on the floor, next to the cooking area. Looking over at his Mistress, sitting next to her mate, he made a slightly louder "wooft" sound and his Mistress looked over at him and made the strange, "happy snarl" face and said, "Eat your food, Urz". Huffing, Urz lowered his head and began to eat.

Finishing his dinner, the Varren trotted over and sat directly behind his Mistress, waiting. His Mistresses mate looked over at him, then across as the slim, fast male and smirked, "Mordin, are you still glaring at Urz?"

Mordin turned his baleful eyes on the Turian and said, "Foolish danger, no value in retaining possession about ship. Varren are dangerous and unpredictable. Also, bit me in posterior, not going to overlook threat again."

Urz cocked his head, looking at the slim, fast man and whined. He could sense the animosity, but he had no idea what to do about it. Generally, he'd dominate the male, but his Mistress had told him in no uncertain terms to BE NICE. So he had to follow his Mistresses command.

After the meal, the Mistress went into the little room that moved and went to the place he wasn't allowed. He made a sad chuffing noise, and she stopped to pet him, which made him happy, but she still left, which made him sad. He felt a compulsion to protect his Mistress, but he couldn't do that when he wasn't allowed to be with her. As he stood, watching the door, the tall dark man walked up and stopped to kneel down and pet him, slipping him some of the people food that Urz loved. Urz huffed and the tall dark man said, "Ignore Mordin, Urz, I think you're a great addition to the team…" Then the tall dark man rose and entered the moving room with the slight, fast man, who glared at him, then at the tall black man and the doors closed. Chuffing again sadly, he began what had become his daily circuit. His compulsion to protect was bred into him, not something he actually thought about, and it extended from his Mistress to her family. So he began a rough circlet that took him to all the places her rather strange family resided.

His first stop was his Mistresses mate. He trotted up the little hall to the room with the funny smells and stood on his back legs to reach the door control. As the door opened, the mate turned and looked at him, torn between amusement and irritation, "Urz, you just saw me at breakfast…why do you need to follow me here?" Urz sat, his tongue lolling out and head cocked and the Mate shook his head. "Fine…but you're a pain in the gizzard, just like your owner." And the mate reached into a closed placed on the crate and grabbed a piece of dried meat, tossing it to the Varren who caught it in mid-air. Urz finished his treat, made sure the mate was in no trouble and turned to continue his circlet.

His next stop was the floating woman. Unlike the Mate, the floating woman didn't give him treats, but he triggered the door and walked in, sitting to the side and waited. As usual, the floating woman ignored him for a few minutes, then lowered to the floor and looked over at him, sighing as she said, "I have told you before, Varren, there is no need nor desire for you to come here each day. I understand your goal of protection, but I have no need of it. I have fought your kind before…" and she continued. Urz didn't understand everything she said, but she spoke to him, and that was sufficient.

Once the Floating woman had gone back to floating, Urz headed to his next stop, the place with the sweet smelling female who spent a great deal of time invisible. Today she was sitting on the couch, knees drawn to her chest, that strange thing on her head, smiling. She pushed the thing off her eyes to see who had entered her room and sighed, "Urz, I don't want to play right now…why don't you go check on Garrus…or Dr. Chakwas?" Urz might not understand everything she said, but the gist was there. So he walked over, nuzzled her hand and she sighed and petted him, before he turned and walked from her room.

Urz trotted down the hallway and hesitated in the mess; to the mate, or the medicine woman? Finally he turned and headed to the Med Bay; stopping at the door to Yip loudly. The door opened and the one who smelled like medicine stood there, she shook her head and said, "I didn't realize this was going to be an everyday thing, Urz…won't you come in?"

Urz pranced over and sat down and the medicine lady dug a meat treat from her drawer, offering it to him, and he took it gingerly. As he chewed, the medical lady talked.

Urz had long ago finished his meat treat, and the other three he'd been given. But the medicine lady was still talking, and Urz was laying there, listening to her,

"I swear, I don't know what gets into these people, sometimes I think they want to drive me insane. Shepard…your mistress, now she's a piece of work…" Urz lifted his head at his Mistress' name and listened, occasionally wagged his tail. "she brings her people in here for minor cuts and scrapes, but does she come in herself for major wounds? NO….she's too tough. I tell you, Urz…how am I supposed to keep her alive without her help?

You know, Urz these people are like my children…and I worry about them. Shepard in particular; she's got a lot riding on her shoulders. I'm so glad that she's got her Team now. At least I know that there are people who care about her, and will hopefully keep her from doing something that I can't fix."

There was silence for a few minutes, as Urz lay, waiting for the medical lady to speak. He wasn't human, but he was genetically developed to be smart. He knew, from her voice, that this person loved his Mistress, and the rest of the team and crew. Finally, the medical lady drained her glass and said, "Well now…looks like you're finished with your treat…off with you…I need to get some work done…". Urz knew he'd been dismissed, so he stood up and walked to the door, which opened obediently. AS he started out, the medical lady's soft voice said, "Urz…thank you. I know you're just a Varren, but it's really good to talk to someone who can't talk back…" Urz gave a happy yip and walked through the medical area to the door beyond.

In this little room stood a metal light face person, who looked down at him. Urz huffed, and the metal light face person watched him, saying, "It's un-necessary for you to continually return to this room. I will not have need of you." Urz huffed again, and walked over to rub his jowl on the metal light face person, then turned to leave, yipping at the medical lady as he went past.

Urz' next stop was going to be the office of the lady with pups. Urz had never seen her pup, but had decided she was obviously nursing a pup if the size of her teats was anything to go on. But a sound came from the crew area and so Urz changed direction and headed into the Crew quarters. The other male, not the mate but the want to be mate sat there, water coming out of his eyes. Urz hesitated, then walked up, shoving his head under the man's hand. The man yelped and jumped, glaring at the Varren, who sat and stared back, surprised. The man sat down again, and replaced his hand on Urz' head. "Sorry boy….you surprised me. What are you doing here?"

Urz simply made his 'urmph" sound, sitting quietly, waiting. Sure enough, the dark haired wanna be mate began to speak. "You don't know how lucky you are, boy. Being human really sucks. Of course, I'm sure being a Varren can't be that easy either. People scared of you, being used to fight… All in all, I guess we've both had it pretty bad…. I'm just so damned lonely, you know? Part of me wants to run back to Earth and just hit the closest bar. And part of me wants to knock the crap out of Shepard and make her see reason. But a bigger part of me wants to smack the hell out of the Alliance. Shepard is a hero, damn it…and they're treating her like a criminal. A _war criminal_, can you believe it? She may not always make the best decisions, but she never wastes lives without there being no other option.

Shepard doesn't deserve this crap. Hell, it would serve them all right if she just took off, went into hiding and let the entire galaxy go to hell. Of course, she won't; no matter what she's got too much honor for that. I see that look, you know…you think I'm a hypocrite, don't you? I admit, I wasn't a very good friend. I doubted her, and I shouldn't have. Yea, she used Cerberus…but that's it, you know? She USED them…and she used them for the right reason. She saved the Galaxy…for a second time. Now she's trying to do it again" the dark haired man glanced at Urz, and said, "Not the working with Cerberus, but the saving the galaxy. Just wanted to make that clear….

Urz cocked his head and listened, he wasn't sure of what the dark haired wanna be mate said, but he knew that the man needed to talk; and he needed someone to listen. His mistress had told him he was a good listener, that talking to him made her feel better; thus Urz decided that if it made people feel better to talk to him, and his Mistress wanted him to _be good_, then he could travel around and listen.

After an hour or so, the dark haired man wound down, then he checked his chrono and gave Urz a pat before saying, "I need to get up to my shift…thanks boy. I know you don't understand a word I'm saying, but it feels good to talk anyway." Urz walked out of the room with the man and watched as the man headed to the elevator. Then Urz continued his walk to the nursing woman's office.

The door opened, and Urz yelped as a figure hit the wall above him. Urz ducked, crawled on his belly behind a chair and looked around the chair at the woman. Miranda glared, then looked down at him and said, her face relaxing, "Sorry, Urz…I thought it was that bastard, Jacob." Urz slipped from behind the chair, carefully, and sat in front of the desk. Miranda reached into her desk and grabbed a treat, tossing it to him. Urz grabbed it in midair and began to eat, glancing at the nursing woman who sat at her desk, chin in her hand. "You know, Urz…men are just a waste of time. They're not worth the time or the pain. I tell you, Urz, men are just a huge joke. The Universes massive laugh at our expense. And Jacob, hell, Jacob is worse than most. He's…he just…god, I miss him, Urz…."

Urz walked around to sit next to her, he didn't know what was wrong, but she was upset, that was sufficient. Urz nuzzled his snout under her hand and Miranda absently petted him. "Hell, Urz, what am supposed to do? I…I care about him. And he's not opposed to sex, it's just relationships that he can't deal with" A few minutes more and Miranda seemed to shake off her melancholy mood and with another pat, sent Urz on his way.

Urz rode the moving box down to the lower level, sitting quietly waiting. Once on the lower level, he hesitated, then turned and headed into the door next to the elevator, going down the stairs to the dark place where the angry/sad woman lived. Urz had learned to stop just before he rounded the corner and make a loud noise. Otherwise the angry/sad woman used her blue hand to pick him up and throw him. The first time that had happened, the medicine woman had to give him medicine and wrap his broken ribs; and his mistress had been very upset. He gave a 'yipyipyip" and waited, when he heard the "What the hell", he walked around the corner and saw the angry/sad woman sitting on her bed. The angry/sad woman glared at him, then said, "I don't know why you keep coming down here…it aint like you and me have anything n common…."

Urz sat down in front of the angry/sad woman and watched her, his tail wagging softly as he cocked his head and his tongue lolled out. "Fuuuck….", the angry/sad woman drew the word out, but Urz heard amusement, "what the hell….here..", she tossed Urz some dried meat and Urz 'woohted' at her and the angry/sad woman laughed, "I aint never heard nothing like you….you make the most fucking noises I've ever heard. You yip and yap, and huff and chuff and wooht and make all this other fuckin noise. It's like you're fucking talking." Urz cocked his head, watching her, "Get the fuck outa here, Varren…I gotta get shit done….", Urz heard the amusement in her voice, but he also knew that he'd been dismissed. He trotted back the way he came, heading into the engine room.

Urz walked in, stopping at the mated pair of engineers, who tossed him a treat and in the case of the woman, stopped to scratch him. He continued over to the sweet hiding woman and stopped, waiting for her to pay attention to him. She looked down and said, "Urz…how are you?"

Urz huffed and yipped and the sweet hiding woman reached over and gave him a solid scratch along his spines. Urz huffed happily and butted his head against the woman, careful not to hurt her clothe covering. The sweet hiding woman laughed and stood up, getting a treat from the container beside her station and handing it to him, Urz huffed at her, and took the treat gently, swallowing it as the sweet hiding woman said, "Now go on…I have work to do….what is it Shepard says? Shoo!" 'Woohting' happily, Urz turned and headed out of engineering. He paused, heading to his last stop.

"Well come in then, don't stand there all ga'dam day". Urz walked in, saw the old scarred man sitting at a table with his weapon spread out before hm. Urz wasn't sure what these weapons were, but everyone seemed to have one, and he respected what they did. The old scarred man pointed across the room and said, "Make yourself useful, then…get me that rag." Urz followed the man's instructions, going to grab the rag and bringing it back to the old scarred man. "Thank ya, Urz." They sat in silence for a while, Urz watching the old scarred man working and the old scarred man occasionally looking at him. The old scarred man said, "You keep making her happy, you hear me? Now git…I've got work to do…"

Urz huffed and got up, wandering out of the room to the moving room. He rode the room up to the mess, his internal clock telling him it was time for food again. And if he was lucky, his mistress would be there so he could eat with her. Sometimes after this "lunch" meal, she took spent some time with him in the cargo hold, playing ball. That was a funny game, he didn't really enjoy it, but his Mistress sure did. So he played it to amuse her. Basically, she threw a round object and he went and got it, bring it back to her so she could throw it again. He wasn't sure why she kept throwing it away if she wanted it, but it amused her, so he kept going to get it. He wouldn't ever understand two leggers…but he didn't need to, really. As long as his Mistress stayed happy, that was that Urz needed.


	19. Scene 16

"Sammuals? I'm Shepard…what is it, exactly, that you needed to see me about?" Sammuals gave her a smarmy grin and said, holding himself up to his full five and a half feet height and trying to intimidate or impress her and said,

"Yeah…you wanted info on Blue Streak?" Shepard nodded, this man made her skin crawl, but if he had the knowledge to end the supply lines of a new drug that was making things even more difficult on the Citadel, as well as several other colonies. The drug was insidious and dangerous, and Shepard wanted it destroyed even before finding out that it had been created using collector knowledge.

Shepard gazed at Sammuals and started to say something, when he pointed to the left, "That's a crate of Blue Streak….you said your doc could trace it to its origin?"

Shepard nodded and half turned, and was shocked as she felt the blow of a steel Billy club on the back of her head. She stumbled and cursed her choice not to wear her helmet and armor. She blacked out for a moment, and when she came too, Sammuals was trying to tied her hands behind her back as he struggled with the fastenings of her pants. Shepard knew what he was doing, and she knew that he was on Blue Streak. One of the side effects of this drug was increased sexual desire. Shepard also knew that if she didn't fight back, he was going to rape her. Shepard was sick to her stomach, knowing that it probably meant she had a mild concussion. Despite the nausea and headache, she half turned and caught Sammuals with her boot to the temple. He staggered back, but came back at her again, Snarling, "BITCH! You know you want it, cunt…I'm gonna tear that ass up….make you think twice before looking at me like I'm a fucking rat. You're spreading your legs for that fucking Turian, I'm going to show you what a real man, a human man, can do for you" He shoved his face at her, shoving his tongue into her mouth as he ripped at her pants, shoving his hand into her panties. Shepard head-butted him and when he staggered, she drew both legs up and kicked him in the groin HARD. He went to fetal position, cursing her and Shepard glanced up, seeing that his back up was on its way. She grabbed his head with her knees, and twisted, flipping him over. Staggering to her feet, she barely slowed as she grabbed a package from the crate and sprinted from the alley.

Once back on the ship, Shepard went directly to her room praying that she didn't run into anyone. Unfortunately, Garrus figured out she was back on the ship and met her in their quarters. She hadn't gotten out of her ripped clothes yet and she looked pretty beat up. Catching site of her, Garrus snarled and rushed to her side, freezing as she flinched from him. He reached out slowly, giving her plenty of time to adjust. He'd spent enough time in C-Sec to recognize the signs, and he forced down a snarl, trying to be as calm and gentle as he could as he said,

"Amica…it's ok…", the desire to grab her and pull her close, snarling at anyone who came near her, or better yet, ripping them apart. He could see the battle that was raging in Lia, she struggled to maintain a calm, rational attitude, but part of her wanted to crawl into fetal position and whimper. Finally, she stepped forward, reaching for her mate; he raised a hand to caress her arm, pausing when she drew back, saying, "I should clean up…you don't want…I'm disgusting…I…", but she felt the tears prick her eyes, and she fought, trying to avoid it. She was Commander Shepard, dammit…the savoir of the Citadel…Killed of Collectors….she was stronger than some pathetic little woman who wanted nothing more than to throw herself into her mate's arm, bawling her eyes out.

Garrus, as always, sensed her battle and simply drew his talons up her arms, to grasp her shoulder, pulling her close to him. She tensed, and Garrus prepared for her to shove him away. Instead, she hiccupped, breath catching as she battled between the soldier and the woman….finally, the woman won and she began to sob in earnest. Garrus picked her up, carried her to the couch and sat down, cradling his mate in his lap nuzzling and stroking her, purring at her in an attempt to calm her. He smelled another male on her, a bitter, drugged and dirty smell. He battled not to growl, as he caressed her slowly and gently. His gentle caresses removed her clothes, until she was naked across his lap. He battled himself to prevent a growl, purring harder as he continued to stroke her. He stood, moving to the bathroom to get her under the shower.

Hours later, she'd told him what had happened, and he'd made sure she knew didn't have a major concussion or any broken bones. By rights, she should go to the Med Bay, but when he'd suggested it, she'd nearly gone into a panic attack. So he'd worked with Chakwas and Edi to make sure she was ok. After a bit, he got her calmed enough that she was beginning to go back to herself.

Shepard's soft voice floated up to him from his chest, "So…do you have any respect for me left?"

Garrus started, that wasn't' something he'd expected to hear and he arched his neck, trying to see his mate's face, but she had her face buried in his chest, nearly rolled in a ball on his chest. He said, "What? I have nothing but respect for you, amica…why in the Spirit's name wouldn't I?"

She made a sound that was half sob, have derisive snort and said, "I'm not exactly an inspiration for respect like this…falling apart like some…some pathetic little twit over a few bruises…."

That was too much for Garrus, he rolled them over so he was above her, careful not to put his weight on her, or make her feel confined as he said, "Lia Shepard…you were just nearly raped. I'd have wondered about you if you DIDN'T react… You are NOT acting like a pathetic anything…what the hell is wrong with you crying a little over being hurt, especially when you're crying to me, your mate? Lia…if you can't relax and let me hold you, take care of you a little…who can you relax with?"

Lia's voice was bitter, "no one…I shouldn't be weak at all…you shouldn't need to take care of me…."

Garrus lowered his head and nuzzled her temple, pleased when she responded by nuzzling him back, "Lia…I don't think you realize how powerful a woman you actually are. Sometimes I wonder if you really actually need me at all…."

Lia spoke again, that bitter, self-depreciating voice that hurt Garrus to hear, "I know…I don't know why you put up with me…I'm like a fucking porcupine…nothing lovable about me, just hard, stiff and…empty", the last word was nearly a whisper. Garrus shook his head, using his face to nuzzle her face upwards,

"Lia…that's not what I meant. Like usual, I'm saying this wrong… Look, I love you. You're my mate and there is no one but you for me. I more than love you, I adore you, I worship you….You're part of me and I wouldn't have it any other way. Yeah, sometimes you can be a pit prickly, though I'm not sure what a "porky-pine" is…but you know what?"

Lia raised her eyes to his, he saw the careful hope in her eyes, "I wouldn't have it, or you, any other way. But I have to admit, when you need me, when I can take care of you….that makes me feel….worthwhile. There is nothing wrong with letting yourself NOT be the strong, eternal, savior of the galaxy for a few minutes…especially when the one you let yourself lean on is your mate. Amica…lean on me. I'm here, I'm strong and I can be your strength when you need me to.

The fact is, nobody can be eternally strong without ever having a moment of weakness, of doubt…. A person that can't allow themselves to lean on someone else, to allow themselves to be taken care of isn't strong…they're afraid. One of your greatest strengths, Lia, is your ability to make people love you, to make them WANT to follow you into hell because they know they can trust you, that you won't let them down. But everyone needs to be needed once in a while…would it really be so bad to let others see that you're human?"

Lia sighed, "Yes…if they think I'm human, they won't trust me."

Garrus shook his head, "Not true, Lia…. Maybe the general population who don't know you might feel that way. But those of us who follow you, who know who you are? Being human enough to need them back makes them trust you more. When you yourself lean on one of us, even for a moment, it makes it seem that we have a true friendship, a relationship. Relationships, be they friendships or love can't survive if everything flows one way."

Lia gazed up into Garrus' face, raising her hand to stroke his face, noticing the way her hand shook. She started to hide it, then sighed and let it shake, the only one who would see her weakness was her mate, and he wouldn't see it as weakness… "Since when did you get so damn smart, Vakarian?"

Garrus chuckled, purring against her, "It's sort of rubbed off from my mate….the most caring, loving woman in the galaxy who everyone knows will turn herself inside out to take care of her people. And who shows that she trusts her team by occasionally leaning on us"

Lia pressed her lips to his, nuzzling his face and said, "I love you, Garrus…..and I was afraid…and I feel so dirty…."

Garrus nuzzled her, he had a vivid memory of taking her to the shower and watching her scrub her body, her face, her breasts, between her legs with so much force she turned red. He'd taken the clothe from her and began to wash her gently, taking the time to kiss and caress her, nuzzling her to show that nothing affected the way he felt about her. Clearing his throat, he said, "I know, amica…and I'm not going to tell you to just stop feeling that way. But know this, amica…you're beautiful and there is nothing contaminating your sweetness. And I will just have to convince you of that…anyway possible.", Garrus grinned at her, pleased to see the returning smile. It wasn't a grin, but it was a start.

**CHAPTER BREAK**

Garrus left Lia for a few minutes to carry the sample she'd brought to Mordin. ON the way back to their quarters, he heard a sound from Kasumi's room and headed that way to check it out. IN the room, all of the team still onboard the ship were staring at the television. When he entered the open door, Kasumi spun, her express told Garrus something major was wrong. Before he could ask, Samara said, "Garrus…perhaps you need to view this footage. It was caught on the news from the Citadel…"

Garrus watched as woman, obvious to him as Shepard, fled from an alley, clutching a package, her clothing in disarray and looking obviously injured. Her face wasn't shown well, being half in the dark and in shadow, and Garrus doubted that anyone not intimately familiar with Shepard would recognize her. The reported was talking about how crime was escalating on the Citadel, and that C-Sec wasn't doing anything to stop it. They called the fleeing woman an obviously recently attacked victim who wasn't being helped at all.

As the camera followed Shepard, he saw a figure step out from the alley where the woman had run from and growled, recognizing Sammuals. That bastard had been a thorn in his side even back when he was C-Sec….growling, he decided he was going to do something about this. Soon.

Ignoring the rest of the Team, he turned and stalked out, heading up to his quarters. Samara watched him go and said, "I believe that Shepard is in need of our help…"

There was agreement all around as Kasumi pointed out that most women wouldn't have been able to fight off the bastard…and that they needed to make sure that the bastard never did that to another woman ever again.

Jack growled and said, "NOBODY hurts one of us….I'll fucking kill him… Course he didn't actually get nothing, because it's Shep….."

The quiet fury in Zaeed's voice surprised all of them, "He's not gonna have a ga-dam chance to lay his bloody hands on any woman again….can't abide a fuckin rapist….cowards, the lot of them…."

They knew that Garrus was planning something, and between them, they determined that he wasn't going alone.

**CHAPTER BREAK**

Garrus got out of the nests, trying to be as quiet as possible; his mate needed the rest and he really didn't want her to wake up yet. It was a testament to how much she trusted him that he could slide from their nest and move around and not wake her up. Just as he was getting ready to leave the quarters, his hard suit on and holding his gauntlets, he leaned over their nest, running a gentle hand over her hair. She stirred and smiled up at him, sleepy and lethargic from their lovemaking. He ran the knuckled of his finger over her cheek and whispered, "Go back to sleep, amica…"

Lia frowned, making a little mewing face as she said, "You're not in bed…."

Smiling at the obviousness of her statement, Garrus considered how sleepy she seemed. He leaned over and pressed his lip plates to her temple, nuzzling her hair as he said, "Talli needs my help. I'll be back later, amica…just sleep….it's your day off…."

Lia mewed a bit sadly, but considered his suggestion, then smiled up at him and rolled to her side, snuggling up with his pillow and muttered, "ok…maybe a few more minutes,…." Garrus smiled and carded through her hair, then turned and strode from the room.

Garrus rode the elevator to the crew quarters, intending to speak to Tali about having her tell Shepard he was with her if asked, but instead he found himself face to face with Shepard's entire team. Frowning, Garrus took in their angry, determined faces and said, "No…just no."

Tali stepped forward, "She's our friend too, Garrus…and this hurt her, it isn't ok…."

Jack glared and said, "Fuck that, Birdman…that dickhead hurt Shepard and that aint ok. Ima fuck him up…"

Samara spoke in her soft, dignified voice, "Officer Vakarian, while I understand your emotional connection to the Commander, we also care for her. She has been treated with the vilest of actions and we, as her team and her friends, have the right to assist in bringing this creature to justice."

Garrus looked around the rest of the Team and noted their determined, angry faces and sighed, "Fine…but we don't do anything to violate the rules. The last think that Shepard needs is to bail her Team out of jail…."

**BREAK**

"Commander Shepard?" C-Sec offer stood, gazing dispassionately at her. Shepard sighed, arms crossed over her chest; not an easy feat in a hard suit.

"Yes, I'm commander Shepard…what is my team accused of?'

The C-Sec officer seemed not at all impressed by Shepard and she sighed to herself. Leave it to this situation to find the only C-Sec officer who disliked her. Shepard stood at parade rest, gazing dispassionately at the Turian from C-Sec. He picked up a file folder and Shepard winced at the thickness of it. "Apparently, your..err…team, attacked a Human named Clive Sammuals. None of them have said why, but Mr. Sammuals has said that he had a disagreement with you several days ago and he believes this was a revenge situation on behalf of your team."

Shepard sighed, "Can I speak to them?" The Turian hesitated, and Shepherd said, "IF I need to, I can call Officer Bailey…" The threat worked and the Turian led her to the back.

Shepard walked into the back, and Garrus immediately rose, going into what the humans call parade rest. She gazed at each of them in turn and they either stared her back, or looked away. Shepard sensed the shame from her team, but she stayed silent, staring each of them in turn. Several of them began to fidget, and she turned to Miranda and said, "Lawson, I'm more than a little disappointed in you. I would have thought you, at least might have had at least a little common sense…."

Jack glared and said, "Fuck that…the mother fucked screwed with you, Shepard…that aint ok. We just met up with him to make him see….", when Jack hesitation, Miranda finished,

"the error of his ways. It was just an…innocent meeting…"

And Tali muttered, "at least at first…."

Shepard sighed, she couldn't really blame her team; they were as protective of her as she was of them. She knew that if one of them had faced the same situation she had, she'd have gone to the cause of the problem and tried to fix it for them. Sighing again, she said, glancing at Garrus who looked at her, half shamed, half proud. "Look guys, I appreciate the sentiment…but now I have to go meet with this idiot to see if he'll drop the charges…"

"NO!" Garrus exclaimed, walking to the very front of the cell and looking agitated, "Shepard…you need to stay away from him. We'll just…deal with this….but you need to stay away that asshole. Who knows what the fuck he'll do now…"

Shepard gazed at Garrus calmly, "I understand that, Garrus…but I need you all on the Normandy, facing Reaper; not in a C-Sec jail because you took matters into your own hands." Several of the team began to argue, but Shepard shrugged, "Can't be helped…I'll see what I can do to get out of here. I hope that while I'm gone meeting with this jackass, you'all will think about this situation…"

Garrus growled, slamming a hand on the wall next to the field, "You can't go alone, Shepard…"

Shepard shrugged, "What do you suggest? It seems my team is all otherwise occupied…" at that point, the air shimmered next to her and Kasumi appeared, grinning,

"She won't be alone…", Garrus looked slightly mollified, but Shepard sighed,

"Kasumi, how is it that you avoided their" she gestured to the others, "fate?"

Kasumi nodded, "Fast reflexes and my cloak…"

Sheppard shook her head and saw her team standing stiffly in the cells. She realized they were all waiting for her to refuse Kasumi's offer. Finally, she nodded and said, "Fine…but stay cloaked until I call you, Kasumi." She didn't miss how many relaxed, including Garrus. Sighing, Shepard said, "Ok, you guy stay here and try to stay out of trouble…"

**BREAK**

Shepard walked toward the office she'd been directed too, she was not looking forward to this. She wasn't afraid of Sammuals, but since his actions, she didn't trust him. Not looking to the side, she said, "Remember, Kasumi, not a word unless I call you, ok"

Kasmui said, "I get it Shep…just, be careful, ok?"

Shepard would have answered, but they were there.

Captain Bailey sat on one side the desk , and on the other was Clive Sammuals, a criminal who ran half of the drug traffic on the station and had an unhealthy attraction to her. Sammuals smirked at her and she noticed the black eye, swollen nose and the head wound, and if she wasn't mistaken, a bruise the size of Garrus' fist on his chest. Bailey looked very unhappy; he wasn't fond of Sammuals, but the man was a citizen and her Team had been caught redhanded assaulting him. Before anyone could speak, Shepard said, "Bailey, I want to report an attempted assault…."

Bailey frowned, "On who?"

Shepard tried to keep her voice and face calm, "Me. Mr. Sammuals here threw me against a wall after hitting me over the head with a club and attempted to assault me. It was only due to my conditioning that I was able to avoid the assault."

Sammuals stuttered, "Tha…that's bullshit! Don't you see what she's doing? She's trying to get her people out of trouble. I never…"

But Bailey, smirking, said, "Well, if Commander Shepard is willing to swear out a complaint, then I have to enforce it, Sammuals. So I guess you'll be joining everyone in the cells…too bad that I don't have enough cells to keep you segregated…."

Sammuals looked worried and scared now, "They'll kill me if you put me in there…you know that!"

Bailey muttered something about "couldn't happen to a nicer asshole", but said, aloud, "Maybe there is a way for us to….negotiate here. I'm sure that if you drop your charges, Shepard could be convinced to drop hers. No harm, no foul, right Shepard?"

Shepard pretended to consider that, then nodded slowly, "I guess…though, I don't know…this was a serious assault by Sammuals….I could have lasting damage from the attack….."

Sammuals stood up, spitting mad and snarled, "Fine….I'll drop the charges. But you haven't won, Shepard…I will have you, mark my words…." And he stormed out.

Bailey turned to Shepard and said, "That is NOT a good enemy to have, Shepard…maybe you better make yourself scarce on the Citadel for a while…."

Shepard nodded, "As soon as my people are out, we're gone. Thanks Bailey…"

Bailey waved a hand at her, "Least I can do, Shepard". Then he turned on the intercom and said, "Sammuals has declined to press charges…let the prisoners go…" If the officers had a problem with that, no one said anything and a few minutes later, Shepard was grabbing her team and heading back to the Normandy.

As the entered the airlock, she turned to Joker and said, "Take us out of here, Joker…" Joker nodded, not looking at the rest of them, as he plotted a new course. Shepard stood just outside the airlock, between her Team and the CIC and glanced at each of them in turn. Finally, when it seemed like the silence would go on forever, she said, "Look, I appreciate your support and the fact that you all give a crap is something I'm very proud of. But…next time, maybe you all could choose a bit of a different way to get revenge? One that doesn't get you arrested and us thrown off the Citadel?"  
>No one, not even Jack, met her eyes and with a sigh, she said, "Dismissed…you're all confined to quarters, except for mess and repair duties for the foreseeable future." No one argued, and they all filed out until all that was left was Garrus, who found his feet very interesting. Shepard walked up and drew him into the airlock, shutting the door and saying,<br>"Garrus…"

At the same time, Garrus said, "Do you want me to move back to the Main battery?"

Looking shocked, Lia said, louder than she intended, "NO! Hell no, Garrus! Why would you think that?"

Garrus looked into her face, feeling a bit more secure, "I just thought…since I…"

Shepard moved forward, reaching up to place her hand on his face, beneath his mandible as she said, "Garrus…I know why you did this. I know the others are aware that something happened, but you're the only one who knows the whole story….and I appreciate, more than I will ever be able to say, that you love me enough to stand up for me. I love you, Garrus…thank you for loving me enough to want to take care of me….."

Garrus smiled in his Turian manner and reached out carding his talons through her hair and said, "I will always want to protect you, Lia…..to stand up for you…because you're part of me, special to me….I love you too…."

Smiling, Shepard turned to leave the airlock and said, "Let's go to our room, Garrus….you can tell me how much you love me…or better yet, show me…."

Garrus smirked, placing a hand on her shoulder as he sad, "I can do that, amica…show and tell seems like my favorite part of your human teaching…."

Grinning as they made their way through CIC, Shepard glanced up at him, smirking as she said, "You know…even *I'VE* never gotten us thrown off the Citadel… you're a talented Turian, Garrus Vakarian…."


	20. Scene 17

Shepard walked down the corridor from Miranda's office, still smiling. Despite the actions of her Team on the Citadel, or at least the results of those actions, she was happy. She'd spent so much time alone, even in a crowd, that having a group of people who cared about her was a very good feeling. And while they respected her as their Commanding officer, they also genuinely liked her as a person. Working, she had a balanced, vital Team who could, would and had taken on the hardest of tasks and succeeded, beyond all expectations; personally she had…a family. While she loved her mother and knew her mother loved her, she'd never been that close to her. And her father, well he always seemed a bit remote from her. But now, now she had the family she'd never really allowed herself to hope for, or dream of.

Still smiling, she paused as she heard Kaiden call her name. She turned, the smile still on her face to see him hurrying up to her. She felt a momentary surge of nerves, but pushed them back down resolutely. She knew Garrus worried about her having some sort of PTSD from the attack, but she refused to be a victim. Kaiden drew up to her and her smile faltered as she saw the concern in his eyes; she had a premonition of what he wanted to talk to her about. "Are you ok, Shepard? I heard…well I heard that you got hurt and I've been worried…"

Shepard nodded, trying to force her smile to stay as she said, "Yeah, I'm fine, Kaiden…there was…an incident. But everything's ok now…" She started to turn, to continue her walk to the mess, but Kaiden reached out and grabbed her arm and for just a split second, she was back there in that alley and that man was coming at her. She gave a strangled sound that might have been a yelp, if her throat hadn't been closing and stumbled backward, hitting the wall with a resounding thump. She had just enough time to realize that Kaiden was staring at her like she had two heads, before Garrus appeared, thrusting himself between Shepard and Kaiden, and Shepard heard a low growl coming from him; though she doubted that Kaiden heard it since it was mainly in the sub-harmonic range. She recognized the stance Garrus was in, tense, but forcing himself to be loose; waiting for the opening to attack. Before she could say anything, or do anything other than wrap one arm around Garrus' chest, another problem arrived. Urz stalked up on stiff legs, his spike raise, head low and a deep, dangerous growl came from his chest, and the object of his gaze, as it was with Garrus, was Kaiden.

Shepard sighed, "Urz…down. Garrus, it's ok…I over-reacted. Kaiden didn't do anything, I just over-reacted….stand down, big guy…."

Urz had dropped to his belly at her command, but his attention never wavered from Kaiden and Garrus forced himself to relax, glancing over his shoulder at his much smaller mate. Kaiden, for his part, looked absolutely shocked. Shepard looked around hoping no one had seen the display and sighed when she realized that they were not in sight of the mess, and no one but the three…four if you counted Urz, were in sight. Closing her eyes a moment, Shepard took a deep breath and tried to stop her hands from shaking and her heart from beating a mile a minute. Gaining a measure of control, she said, "I need to double check something in Life support…hopefully Thane will be back soon, so I want to make sure everything is ready. Is everything okay out here?"

Garrus reached up and squeezed her arm as it lay across his chest and said, "Yeah…everything's fine, Shepard…don't worry." Garrus widened his mandible at her over his shoulder and saw her relax a bit, though she still held herself too tense for his tastes. She met his eyes and he saw the fear in her, fading and the thanks for his actions and words. She nodded, and turned, walking to the Life Support, calling over her shoulder, "We'll talk later, Kaiden, ok? Urz…with me." The Varren rose and followed her, but his baleful eye watched the dark haired wanna be mate carefully. He hadn't sensed any intent to hurt his Mistress, but his Mistress didn't make that noise for no reason. Still, she called him and he followed into the small room she called "Life Support".

Garrus and Kaiden both watched her until the doors closed, then Kaiden said, turning back to Garrus, "What happened to her, Garrus? I've never seen Shepard react like that… It's almost like she was…assaulted."

Garrus sighed, forcing his attention back to the man before him, "She had a problem with a scum sucker on the Citadel, but we handled it"

Kaiden said, "You and she?"

Garrus sighed, "No, the Team and I, though she ended up saving our necks in the end…" Garrus wasn't an expert on reading human faces, other than his mates, but when he looked at Kaiden, he saw hurt.

"I wish you'd told me, Garrus…I might have been able to help."

Garrus sighed, "Or you might have ended up in a C-Sec holding cell with the rest of us…."

Kaiden's eyes widened, "You got _arrested_?"

Garrus had the grace to look uncomfortable, "Yea…well, in retrospect, we might have found a better way to handle it."

Kaiden looked up at Garrus and sad, "Someone hurt her, didn't they? Some guy…did he…"

Garrus shook his head, "No, it didn't get that far. But yea, he tried… Just…walk softly with her for a while, ok? Not that she can't handle it, but she's going to be a little…jumpy for a few days."

Kaiden nodded, "You're not the only one who's dealt with victims, Garrus…"

Garrus said, sharply, "Don't ever call her that, Kaiden, not to her face, not about her. She's not a victim, she's Shepard."

Kaiden nodded, "I know…" Kaiden looked so defeated that Garrus sighed,

"Look, Kaiden…next time we need to put a damn troublemaker down, especially one who hurt Shepard, I'll come get you, ok? Cause I guarantee, Shepard will piss SOMEONE off before long…"

Kaiden smiled a little, "Thanks, Garrus….I appreciate that. I just wish…"

Garrus sighed and said, "Look, Kaiden…it wasn't exactly my choice to take the rest of the Team. They saw the situation on the news and cornered me before I could get out."

Kaiden looked a little mollified, and he glanced at the door to Life Support, saying softly, "You better go check on her, Garrus…I don't think she needs to be alone…."

Garrus nodded, "I know…"

Garrus entered the Life Support and found himself facing a furious Varren. Holding his hand up, he said, "Easy Urz…I'm just going to make sure she's ok…"

The Varren seemed to consider it, then moved aside with a final hiss. Garrus walked past and looked over his shoulder in time to see the Varren move back into position to protect the door. Going around the corner, he found Shepard sitting on Thane's bed, knees drawn to her chest, arms wrapped around them. Her face was buried in her knees and her shoulders were shaking. Garrus walked toward her, purring as loudly as possible. She didn't overtly react, but he felt her shift toward him. Most people, no matter what species, wouldn't have noticed, but he was so in tune with her that he did. He moved slowly, purring to sit beside her. He slid an arm around her and pulled her gently toward him. She leaned against him, but didn't uncurl herself. So he sat and purred and gently stroked her arm. She didn't look at him, though she leaned into his body and said, "Why do you do that?"

Garrus frowned, confused, "Do what, amica?"

"Purr"

He got it, and said, "Ahh…it's partly a…err…Turian thing. We have a wide variety of vocalizations…not just in the morning either" He tried to make light of it, but she didn't respond. So he went on, "We "purr", as you call it, when we're happy, comfortable, relaxed, and the like. We growl when we're angry or defending someone or ourselves. But the there is another reason I purr…."

She was listening, he could tell by the tilt of her body and head, but now she raised her face and he was surprised to see that she wasn't crying. Her eyes were dry, but she had the most haunted look in her eyes. Garrus would do anything to take that look from her eyes and never see it again. She slowly tilted so her head rested on his shoulder, though she didn't unwind her arms from her knees. "Why?" she asked.

Garrus smiled, nuzzling her hair, "Because you like it…it relaxes you and makes you feel comfortable, makes you smile…"

Shepard smiled at him, nodding, "Yeah, I do…it…resonates with me."

He nodded against the top of her head, his mandibles working in her hair, "That's pretty normal with mates, actually. A male will purr and his mate responds to it."

"What about female Turians? Do they purr?"

Garrus shook his head, "No, female Turians don't have the range of males in vocalizations. They growl, of course…and when they're happy they sort of…hum. But they don't purr"

Now Shepard was unwinding from her stance, leaning toward him, her legs turned backward, under her, one hand moving to rest on his thigh as she gazed at him from her position with her cheek on his shoulder. "Do they vocalize like you do in the morning?"

Garrus slid his arm further around her, pulling her close to him and rubbing his cheek on the top of her head. "Not as wide a range, but yea, they vocalized in the morning…"

Slowly, Garrus re-adjusted her, pulling her across his lap, resting her head on his opposite shoulder, his arm supporting her while his other had rested on her hip. She stretched her legs out and relaxed in his arms, rubbing her cheek on his shoulder. His talons slowly stroked her hip, alternating with circles. He felt her sigh, and she said,

"I can't react like that, Garrus…"

Garrus didn't even pretend not to understand what she was saying, instead he nuzzled her again and said, "You won't forever, Lia. Right now, it's fresh and you're hypersensitive. But it _will_ get better, I promise."

A sigh from his mate tickled his throat and she said, "How do you know?"

Settling back against the wall, he held her close to him and said, "Because I've seen it before, Lia. During my time at C-Sec I saw quite a few situations like this. Some of the women weren't has strong as you…but the majority had the same reactions as you do. Some more extreme, to be sure, but I'd say you're reacting perfectly normally. And with time you'll get better. You need to talk about it, amica. Even as strong as you are, Lia, you need to talk about what happened and about how you feel."

She shifted, burying her face in his neck, nipping as her fingers went to his waist, and he moved slightly away, catching her hand, "Lia…you can't ignore this, amica. And distracting me isn't going to help you. Spirits know, I want you; I love you and I would do anything to be inside you right now. But that isn't going to help in the long run, amica."

She sighed, "I don't want to talk about it, Garrus…"

He widened his mandibles, "I know you don't, amica…but you need to. And you, of all people, know that sometimes a person has to do what they don't want to. I promise, nothing you say will affect the way I feel about you. I love you, you are the most important part of my world, Lia…but if you'd prefer to talk to someone else, I'd understand."

Shepard shook her head, leaning back to look Garrus in the face and said, "No…I don't want to talk to anyone else. I just…I don't know, I guess I want to put it behind me…"

Garrus nuzzled her face, licking her ear and said, "I know, amica…but you know that things that are buried have a bad habit of coming back to bite you in the ass."

Lia chuckled weakly, "It'll get better?"

Garrus hugged her, "Yeah, it will…"

Lia sighed, "Ok…I'll talk about it. But not right now, okay? We're due to dock at Omega in a couple of hours and I want to get everything ready. But tonight, after shift…you want to take our dinner up to our quarters and have a long talk?"

Garrus ran his fingers through her hair and sighed, then smiled, "Yeah, definitely…", she smacked him and he chuckled, "seriously, amica…thank you. I know it takes a lot of courage to talk about this and I'm proud of you…"

Shepard waggled her eyebrows at him and said, teasingly, "And what do I get as a reward for being a good girl?"

Garrus chuckled, nuzzling her ear before nipping it, "First of all, if you're ever a "good girl" it'll be a miracle…second, I think I might be able to find a reward that will give you…incentive."

Shepard's husky chuckle against his throat made him shiver, and her touch on his fringe followed by a nip of his throat made him moan, "that sounds promises, Garrus…I'll hold you to that… Now, time to go back to work…"

Garrus chuckled, "Right…like I'm in any kind of shape to go back to work now?"

Lia stood up and chuckled, pulling her mate to his feet and smiling, "Sorry, darling…you want me to retrain myself in the future?" Garrus leaned down and rested his forehead against her,

"Hell no, amica…don't even think about that…"

Shepard laughed and together Garrus and she headed for the door. Urz stood and waited, watching his Mistress calmly. Shepard patted the Varren's head, and said, "Thanks for the protection, Urz…come on, I think today you can come up to the CIC with me…I'm sure Kelly will love you…."

Garrus snapped a laugh and stopped in front of the elevator, waiting for the door to open, saying "Oh yeah, like Kelly needs something else to _**love**_…" The doors opened and Shepard entered the elevator, grinning,

"Yeah well…maybe it will keep her in her clothes more often…" the doors closed on Garrus laughter.

**CHAPTER BREAK**

"Ok, great job guys…the communications is working a peak efficiency. Why don't you guys take the rest of the day off and relax. We'll be at Omega in an hour or so, and you all deserve a break. Just remember, Omega isn't the Citadel…be careful out there." Shepard ran over the console, shutting down the system as Jacob and his team stood there, proudly. They'd been working on this since the Collector attack and they now had it not only working, but working better than before…and no Cerberus bugs to worry about.

Dismissing Jacob and her team, she called out, "Kaiden? Can I see you a moment, please?" Jacob and the rest of the crew left and Kaiden stayed, standing uncomfortably. Shepard sighed and said, "Look Kaiden…about what happened earlier…"

Kaiden waved a hand at her, finally looking into her face as he said, "Forget about it, Shepard…I startled you and you reacted. It's not a major thing…"

Shepard frowned, "I just think I need to…"

Kaiden held up a hand again, this time his voice was stronger as he said, "Seriously, Shepard? Forget about it…I already have.."

Shepard stared at him a few seconds, then smiled and said, softly, "Thanks Kaiden. That means a lot…."

Not knowing what to say, Kaiden smiled at her, then turned and left.

**CHAPTER BREAK**

Shepard looked up from the desk, sighing and rolling her shoulders and neck. Even not being part of the Alliance or Cerberus, there was still paperwork to do. Crew rotations, budgets, repair reports…all required work. Groaning, she realized it was well past when she normally went to sleep, and she glanced through the wall of model ships at the couch to see her mate sitting quietly, reading a data pad. Smiling, this was what she'd wanted her entire life and hadn't known. The wish her heart had made, but her head hadn't seen. The two of them sitting quietly and working, each on their separate things, but together none the less. It was refreshing to have silence without a driving need to fill it with empty words. Standing up, she moved down the steps, aware that her mate had looked up from his own reading and was watching her, his posture relaxed, mandibles spread, one leg on the couch, the other on the coffee table. He watched his mate walk toward him and waited.

Shepard smiled, sliding her hand over breasts and down her hips, smirking at him. She had stripped from her uniform and was wearing a tank top and a pair of shorts, both of which had seen better days. Her long legs carried her down the steps and across the small living quarters, as her hands gently stroked her body, sliding over her hips, the top of her thighs and then back up to cup her breasts, her thumbs sliding over her nipples. Garrus watched her avidly, his eyes following her hands and a soft huff escaped from his lips as her hands reached her breasts; his tongue came out to touch his lip plates as he watched her.

Garrus began to lean forward, moving his feet to the floor, but Lia walked between his thighs, stopping him from moving. He leaned back, smirking himself as she put a knee on the couch between his thighs, her hands still fondling herself. Garrus purred, and went to raise his hands, but a quick shake of her head had him resting his hands back on the couch. He purred and said, "I take it you're done with paperwork, amica?"

Shepard smiled, taking a hand off her breast, and caressing him, her fingers dancing over his mandibles, his cheek and slowly dropping to rest on his chest. Leaning forward, her weight mostly on the hand on his chest, she pressed her cheek against his and whispered in his ear, "You look a little tense, Garrus…maybe I can help you blow off a little steam."

Garrus chuckled and purred as he murmured, "That could be; what did you have in mind?"

Smiling evilly, Shepard rested her other hand on the couch behind him and began to slide her hand down his body, "Oh…I think I might be able to help here…" Garrus' purr skipped a beat as her hands fell on the fastening of his pants, and faltered completely when she managed to undo them with one hand and reached in to rub his plates which were already beginning to separate.

Garrus lifted his hips obediently as Shepard slid his pants off his body and moaned when she knelt on the couch between his knees, leaning over to run her tongue over the places where his plates met and overlapped. Garrus panted as she slid the tip of her tongue into him and then ran her fingers to caress him. He watched as her clever fingers, now very adept at getting his cock from his plates, teased and tormented him. He moaned as she used the tip of her tongue and her strong fingers to rub the place his plates overlapped until they finally shifted and his cock, already hard, popped out into her hands.

Garrus let his head fall back as she took his newly revealed cock into her hand and began to work it slowly up and down. She watched his face, smiling as she saw again the power she held over her mate. He moaned, then gasped as she dropped down suddenly and took his cock in her mouth, rubbing the head with her tongue as her mouth sucked and rubbed against the rest of his cock. Spirits, her mouth was so sweet…so hot… He couldn't help the way his back arched, thrusting up into that hot, wet mouth. His head was laid back, but his eyes were half opened, watching his mate lave and caress his cock with her mouth, her hand rubbing the base. For several minutes she worked his cock, his hips arched, he moaned and his fingers went to her hair, holding her in place as he thrust into her mouth; careful even then not to hurt her.

After their months together, she knew what he wanted, what he needed, what drove him slowly insane and what sent him over the edge to madness in one move, and she used every bit of that now, loving his cock. He growled, he wanted her, he wanted to bury himself inside her, to hold her still while he sought both their releases. But he knew that Lia wasn't going to let up until she was damn good and ready. He could smell her arousal and he moaned again, his hand running through her hair as he whispered, "Let me touch you, amica…please…" At first he thought she'd refuse him, but then she moved, sliding around him so she was kneeling beside the couch, still working his cock with hand and mouth. Garrus moaned, he wanted to taste her, but he supposed this was as close as she was going to let him get.

Slowly, Garrus slid a hand over her ass, rubbing and squeezing, then moving to the fastening of her shorts, undoing it easily enough, sliding his hand down, into her underwear. He moved slowly, his other hand still resting on her head, rubbing and massaging. He knew this was what that monster had tried to do, so Garrus moved slowly, trying not to scare her, or make her remember. So intent was she on her task, he was able to slide a gentle talon onto her clit, which made her whimper and rub against him. He smiled, he loved it when she reacted like that. He continue rubbing her clit gently, synchronizing the speed and movement with his hand on her head and her sucking, bobbing mouth. He felt her moan and arch into his hand and he grunted, leaving her clit to slide down her slit and dipped his talon inside her. She was wet, just like he'd thought. Slowly, he pulled his hand from her panties and, making sure she was watching, drew it to his face, using his tongue to lick the juices off his talon. He felt her moan through his cock and arched, fighting to stay in some control.

Lia kept her hand moving on his cock as she stood up, eyes never leaving her mate's face. He obliged her by sliding her shorts and panties down her legs and she stepped out of them. He sat up, leaning forward until he could use his tongue to caress her clit, and sliding a finger into her as she stood beside him, her hand stroking his cock. He watched her face, saw her bite her lip and gasp, arching to his touch. Her hand not currently driving him into insanity, went to his fringe and it was his turn to gasp. In retaliation, he slipped one talon in and out of her in the time with her hand, and he used his tongue to flit, lick, flick and caress her clit. She began to shake and Garrus knew this time it wasn't in fear, but intense arousal. It never too him long to bring her to release with his tongue, a fact he loved. Her tunnel tightened around him, milking his talon and she gasped, her hand moving faster on his cock. He knew she wasn't going to be able to stand up much longer, her legs were already shaking with effort.

Garrus moved, standing up and moaning when she lost her grip on him. But he had a better way to find his release, and bring her to hers. He picked her up, felt her legs go around his waist and he carried her to their nest, sitting her on the edge as his cock nudged at her entrance. She reached down between their bodies and gripped his cock and he thought she was going to guide him into her, but instead, she went back to the rhythmic hand movements. The only difference was that now, each stroke she made brought the head of his cock in contact with her clit. He smiled at her moaning and gasping and swirled his hip when his head came in contact with her clit, making his cock rub in a circle across her. She gasped and arched and he smiled, lowering his head and nuzzle her ear, her cheek, her jawline and neck. She nuzzled back, turning to suckle at his neck, nipping gently.

Garrus felt his release coming and his hips began to thrust of their own accord. He turned his head and murmured into her ear, "I'm close amica…let me inside you…please…" The feel of her hand working his cock and the heat from her wet pussy so close adding to the scent of her arousal and the feel of his extremely sensitive head rubbing against her clit was driving him insane. And he felt her moan and gasp, writhing in his arms as she arched, never losing her rhythm on his cock. He was so close, but she seemed to have no intention of simply letting him inside her, so he forced his body to find some measure of control and concentrated on bringing her instead. The next time her hand pulled him close, his head smacking and rubbing her clit, he refused to move away, taking a half step closer. She mewed, as he kept his cock right on her clit, so every movement she made with her hand on his cock rubbed him against her.

Garrus was beginning to think he was going to either die or go insane before she came. But with a strangled shout, he felt her explode, her hand on his cock becoming less rhythmic, jerkier and she arched, and thrust herself against him. He kept his cock on her clit until he felt her begin to come down, then he grabbed her again, stepping over the walls of their nest and dropping down, twisting as he did so. He hit the nest on his back and shifted her just slightly so she came down on him and when she did, he slid inside her.

The feel of her sudden weight on him, impaling his cock in her wet, tight and spasming pussy nearly drove him over the edge. But he wasn't the only one; she cried out and began to arch and writhe on top of him, throwing her head around as she came hard. Gasping, he watched her ride him, felt her tighten her pussy walls around him and grinding against him, driving him deeper inside of her. He felt the head of his cock hit the end of her tunnel and backed off, but his mate was having none of that. She grabbed his hands and brought them to her breasts, keeping her hands over his as she rose nearly off his cock, making him mew in need, then she let go and sank onto him. Her weight forced him deeper inside her and he opened his mouth, making a deep, yowling noise.

What she was doing was so close to what a Turian female would do that he was losing his mind. He always kept in the back of his mind that she was human, and yet, at this moment, he lost any shred of sanity he'd ever kept. All he could think was to beg her to do it again. He must have spoken out loud, because she did do it again. It only took two more times before she threw herself around on top of him, climaxing so hard he thought she might have stopped breathing. One more and he joined her, pumping his cock inside her hard and fast, his hand bruising on her waist and his teeth sinking into the flesh of her shoulder, as his release spurted deep inside her.

Lia collapsed on top of her mate, she thought she might have died in that last climax. She felt Garrus' release filling her and his cock swelling, holding him and his seed inside her. She moaned, feeling his teeth sank into her shoulder; but she wasn't sure he was conscious. Garrus himself, at that point, wasn't sure he was conscious. He felt his mate collapse on top of him, her hair was in his face, making breathing even more difficult; but he just couldn't fine the energy to lift his hand and remove it. As a matter of fact, her hair was everywhere and he tried to smirk, but it came out more like a gasp. He felt Lia gathering herself, but his hands clenched on her, and he released her shoulder, wincing when he tasted blood. He's bitten her again, but he knew better than to show her how worried he was…these days, when he lost control and bit her, he just put some medigel on it and didn't comment. He spoke, but his voice was gravely and slow, "Don't move, amica…please…."

"aren't I too heavy?", he was pleased to note that her voice sounded as weak as he felt, and just as gravely as his. He reached up with shaking hands to grab one of the rags he now kept in the nest, and applied it to her shoulder, holding it with as much strength as he could; which was about as much as a newborn at the moment. He considered reaching back up for the medigel, but that was just too much work, so the rag would have to do for now.

"No, you're not heavy. Just lay there…I love to feel you on top of me; especially when I'm still inside you."

He felt her reach above him for the medigel with shaking hands and frowned, if SHE was going for it the wound must be pretty bad. He tried to open his eyes, but he just couldn't. He felt her apply the medigel, then settle back on his chest, sighing. His hands were resting on her waist, so he slid one gently up to her back, making little circles with his talons on her back, but even that miniscule movement was too much, and his hand stilled. He heard her mutter, "I'm so tired, Garrus…."

He replied, never opening his eyes, "Go to sleep, amica…just rest and go to sleep…"

"mmmmm ok…" was her reply, from the sound of her voice, she was already taking him at his word.

Idly he worried that she might have a reaction, or her shoulder might bleed…or that she might not be comfortable sleeping on his hard plated chest. But then he sighed, right at that moment, the only thing he could think of was joining her in sleep.

So he did.


	21. Author Note 4

Ok guys….another boring authors note….

I am working on three different things for this story. Three distinct chapters that COULD be next. I've already got some written on all three (when something occurs to me, especially a part of a scene, I have to write it, LOL) so…..

You'all get to choose.

The crew finds a series of articles on the extranet that are dedicated to Shepard… The first in the series is "How to Pleasure your Turian Lover", cause "once you get a Turian in the sack, you never go back".

Christmas! And Shepard has plans for the crew AND Garrus

Jack and Joker finally get Garrus in "good spirits"

So…let's hear a vote in the REVIEW section…and while you're there, you might as well tell me how you think I'm doing with the story, characters, etc. Cause, you know…reviews are like crack for writers….


	22. Scene 18

Shepard frowned at the data pad, she couldn't believe it; two weeks until Christmas. It had been so long since she'd been able to THINK about holidays and parties and good thoughts that she hadn't even realized it was December by the human calendar. Frowning, she tried to think when the last time she'd been to a Christmas party was and really couldn't. Even before Saren and Sovereign she'd usually managed to work that day. But this year, she decided that the crew and her Team were going to have the best, the biggest and the most elaborate Christmas Party the Universe had ever seen.

"Edi…I need Kasumi up here to my quarters…and Miranda too."

"Requesting their presence, Shepard. Both are on their way.", was Edi's dispassionate voice. Shepard said, "And Edi, stick around, I'm going to need you too."

Shepard had it all planned. The party for the crew, the tree, mistletoe, gifts…and later, after they'd gone back to their cabin, she had a beautiful set of Lingerie and a bow ordered for Garrus' personal present. She grinned, she knew the whole "put a bow on me and I'm yours" thing was pretty cheesy, but she figured that Turians didn't celebrate Christmas, so Garrus probably wouldn't recognize how cheesy it was…

Shepard's door chimed and when she told Edi to open it, Miranda and Kasumi entered the room. Shepard grinned at them and missed the nervous look the women exchanged. "Have a seat, ladies…you want a drink? Help yourself, the Levo stuff has red labels."

She looked back down at her data pad and finished the list she was making as Miranda and Kasumi got drinks and went to the couch. Both women were nervous, neither really sure why Shepard had called them up there. After a few minutes, Kasumi elbowed Miranda and mouthed something at her, but Miranda glared back and shook her head. Then Miranda inclined her head toward Shepard and mouthed, "you ask" at Kasumi. Kasumi's eyes widened, and she shook her head, sharply. Shepard finished the lists and copied them to two data additional pads, then took all three pads and went down to her couch. She noticed the nervous way that Kasumi and Miranda were sitting and said, "Don't worry, ladies, you're not in any trouble. I just have a task for you."

Looking slightly modified, Miranda said, "I wasn't worried, Shepard…though Kasumi has been fidgeting since we got on the elevator" Kasumi glared at Miranda, but before the two women could start something, Shepard cleared her throat,

"Be that as it may, let's get down to business, shall we?" Shepard handed each of the women a data pad and waited while they looked them over. Miranda and Kasumi both looked up at Shepard, Kasumi with barely concealed glee and Miranda with horror.

"We're supposed to set up a _CHRISTMAS PARTY_", Miranda said horrified. On the other end of the spectrum, Kasumi was nearly bouncing with joy,

"A _CHRISTMAS PARTY_? SHEP! That is a wonderful idea! We can have secret Santa's and Gardner can make a huge dinner! This will be _FUN_!"

Miranda looked like she'd tasted something bad, as she said, sarcastic, "Yeah, Shepard…_fun_…" though her face told Shepard that her idea of fun and Kasumi's were not even close. Shepard grinned,

"Come on Miranda…it'll be fun. This crew has worked their asses off for us and they deserve a little fun, right? A way to blow off steam… Kasumi is right, Gardner can make a big dinner, we'll have a tree, mistletoe, punch and I think the Secret Santa is a great idea. That way, people will only have to buy one gift, unless they want to get more, of course. Speaking of which, Edi?"

"Yes Commander?"

"I need you to compile a list of everyone and the set up the Secret Santa….make sure that NO ONE knows who their "Santa" is….. Maybe we should send a questionnaire to everyone? That way it would be easier for everyone to figure out what to get their recipient." That was directed at Kasumi and Miranda.

Miranda shifted uncomfortably, "Shepard…I'm not really a "Christmas" person…maybe it'd be better to leave me out of all this?"

Shepard gave her a solid look, "Absolutely not. Miranda, I want you to coordinate the questionnaires. Make sure that everyone gets one, and everyone turns one in…and I want _YOU_ to set the example and do yours first."

Miranda gave a resigned sigh, "Fine…what should be on this questionnaire?", Miranda picked up her data pad and began to take notes.

Shepard tapped her finger against her lips, thinking, "Obviously, name, department…err…"

Kasumi said, "favorite color, clothing size, favorite things, hobbies, collectables…"

Shepard nodded at Kasumi, "Yeah… and dislikes too… things they really hate or don't like."

Miranda was taking notes, frowning. "Fine, I'll get this put together. Will there be anything else, Commander?"

Shepard nodded, "Get with Gardner and put together a menu, make sure he includes the Dextro as well. And tell him to keep his mouth shut until we announce it. Kasumi, I need you to handle decorations, music, etc.…do you think the mess hall?"

Kasumi frowned, considering, "It'll work…but maybe the cargo hold would be a better idea. It's easier to do the decorations and keep it quiet. And it's big enough for a huge tree."

"Cargo hold it is…oh, and make sure you research our crew's ethnic backgrounds…Mirada make sure she has all the dossiers. I want as many traditions included as possible. Oh, and if there is any holiday similar in the non-human's traditions then include them as well."

Kasumi nodded, making notes and Shepard said, "Edi…I want you to make sure that everyone gets the questionnaire and returns it by…..hmmm, let's say we get the questionnaires out by next Tuesday, that enough time Miranda?"

"Yes, Shepard…I can get it created by then…" the former Cerberus agent looked irritated, but there was a slight look in her eyes that Shepard read as excitement.

"Good…get the out by Tuesday night, I'll make the announcement Tuesday afternoon. Send out notices that every member of the crew and team are to gather in the mess on Tuesday at…err, say noon. And the questionnaires are due back by Thursday…", she looked questioningly at the two women, who both nodded. Shepard smiled at the glee in Kasumi's eyes and watched as she nearly bounced in place, she didn't have a lot to do on the ship and something like this would give her an outlet. "That gives us roughly ten days to get everything put together. Oh, and we need to set a limit on the amount you can spend…we don't want someone paying a lot and getting something not as expensive in return. How about…err..30 creds? That should allow everyone to get a nice present without breaking their wallet.

We dock at Illium on Friday afternoon…and we'll stay until Tuesday. Edi, make sure that you schedule staggered shore leave for the entire crew and team. Oh, and make sure that when you set up the Santa list that significant other's don't get assigned each other, ok? If you have any questions on who is with who, talk to Kasumi."

"Acknowledged, Commander."

"Oh, and Edi? Make sure you include yourself in this…you're part of this crew too. And send me copies of all the questionnaires. "

Edi sounded hesitant, but said, "Acknowledged, Commander."

"Ok…anything else we need to cover?"

Kasumi and Miranda both shook their heads, already involved with their data pads and planning their respective duties.

"Ok then, dismissed. We'll meet Tuesday morning to catch up…"

Both nodded and got up to leave, passing Garrus on their way out as he was leaving the elevator. He held the door for them, looking interested as he made his way to the cabin. Shepard greeted him with a hug and a quick nuzzle of his cowl and he nearly forgot the two women. But he remembered as they Shepard went and picked up the wine glasses the ladies had been drinking and taking them to the bathroom to rinse them out.

Garrus frowned, "Shepard? Is something going on?"

Shepard grinned as she came out of the bathroom, putting the glasses away before moving to sit on the couch and patted the place beside her. Her grin gave him some measure of comfort, so he widened his mandible, and went to sit next to her. She turned to face him and said, "It occurred to me that we're only two weeks from Christmas."

Garrus frowned, he'd heard of "Christmas" before, it was a human holiday, both religious for some and commercial, but he wasn't exactly up the in depth details.

"Ok…I take it that this holiday is important?"

Shepard laughed and leaned into her mate and rested her head on his shoulder, "Well…yes and no. Personally, I'm not really into it. But this crew has been through hell, and having a party will help with morale."

Garrus considered that, nodded, "Yeah, I can see that…so we're having a party?"

Shepard nodded against his shoulder and he cuddled her close to him, resting his cheek on the top of her head, "Among other things. We're going to go all out here…decorations, music, a huge meal…and a Secret Santa thing."

Garrus frowned, "Secret Santa?"

Shepard chuckled, "yeah…it's a thing that human's started when there are big groups. Rather than everyone buying everyone else a gift, or worse, someone not getting anything, you give each person one recipient and they buy a gift for that person. Of course, you can still buy gifts for the people closest to you…but this way everyone receives at least one gift."

Garrus frowned, this sounded like a lot of work for no reason… "Can we opt out?" Shepard sat up and turned to face him, glaring. Garrus sighed, apparently not… "Shepard…I have _NO_ idea what to buy anyone…" Shepard looked slightly mollified and when Garrus pulled her close again, she went willingly snuggling back into his side.

"That's why everyone is going to fill out a questionnaire. You'll get a copy of the questionnaire your recipient filled out and you'll be able to find a gift from that."

Garrus sighed again, he could see her reasoning, but it seemed a lot of work. "Ok…but we can get other gifts to, right? Even if I don't get you as my _recipient_?"

Shepard grinned, "You won't get me, Edi is going to make sure that nobody gets their significant other. And yes, Garrus…if you want to buy me a private gift, I'm not going to say no…"

Garrus felt a surge of joy; one part of Turian culture he hadn't give in to was the giving of gifts to his mate. They didn't have to be fancy, or even purchased…his mother still had a pretty stone that his father had given her just after they were mated. It was part of Turian mating practices to give your mate things…especially males Turians. But Shepard didn't really keep a lot of THINGS, barring her fish and hamster and the few odd bits like her N7 helmet. "Ok, I guess if I get to spoil you a little, I can do this secret Santa thing…"

Shepard frowned, "Wow…now that's enthusiasm…"

Garrus sighed, "I'm sorry, amica…it's just to Turians, the giving of gifts is more…personal. We give things to our mate…sometimes our family…but not too casual friends or just people we know."

Shepard frowned again, "It's Turian culture to give gifts to your mate?", she felt a surge of sorrow, and it showed in her voice. She might not have sub-harmonics, but at times her voice gave away her thoughts. Garrus frowned, he felt like he should apologize, but he wasn't sure why.

"Yea…it's sort of…a cultural imperative. Nothing fancy…but something that reminds you of your mate…a pretty stone…a piece of jewelry…", he noticed she got tense and fidgeted, "what is it, amica?"

Lia frowned, Garrus rarely gave her anything, not that she minded, she wasn't big on gifts, but if it was a _thing_ that Turians did for their mates, she couldn't help but wonder what that meant about she and Garrus. But she didn't want to sound mercenary so she tried to play it off, "Nothing, just thinking about the party…"

Garrus frowned, "Lia… know you well enough to know when you're upset and not just thinking…"

Lia sighed, "I just…well, I just wondered if, you know since we're mated…I mean we _ARE_ mated, right? Or did I misunderstand?"

"Of course we're mated Lia…are you asking me why I don't give you gifts?"

Now it was Shepard's turn to fidget; she tried to sit up and move away, but Garrus was having none of that. He got her turned around and astride him, gazing into her face as he said, "Lia…I haven't gotten you a lot of gifts because I know you don't like a lot of things sitting around… Trust me it's difficult not to, but I don't want to force Turian stuff on you…."

Shepard tried to look away but he caught her chin in his hand and made her look in his face she said softly, "You're right…I don't have a lot of things…but if it were from you, I'd love it…I just…", she looked so miserable, and it was such a change from the way she'd looked when he came in that he felt a rush of shame. He hugged her to him, feeling her snuggle close and said,

"I'm sorry…I should have talked to you about it. I just didn't want to put you on a spot"

It took her a second to work that out, then she chuckled, "the phrase is on THE spot, honey"

Garrus sighed, "You humans have some very strange sayings….but back to the discussion, if you're not opposed to it, I'd love to be able to give you gifts…."

Shepard sat up, gazing into his eyes, "I'd love anything you gave me, Garrus…just because it proves that you were thinking of me…."

Garrus chuckled, "Amica, I don't think there's much time I _**don't**_ think of you..."

Lia sighed happily and burrowed her face in his neck, coming up only to ask, "Isn't there some Turian holiday that you give gifts? Or celebrate?"

Garrus shrugged, pulling her close again loving the feel of his mate burrowing in to his body "There are a lot of Turian holidays…but most aren't something humans would understand. There is Clovens Day though…I guess that's as close as you get to Christmas…."

"Clovens day?", Shepard asked, curious

"It's actually a holdover from a very long time ago…it's supposed to be the anniversary of the day the first Turian Hierarchy was seated. People gather in groups, mostly family, but sometimes close friends or clans…they give each other memory gifts and have a big feast and then…err… Anyway it's the closest I can think of to your Christmas. Most Turian's don't bother with it, but my family used to celebrate it when Sol and I were young."

But Shepard had caught the hesitation and pushed, "And then? After the feast?"

Garrus sighed "Then traditionally and mind you, most Turians do NOT celebrate it the traditional way…well, there would be a…type of fertility ceremony where mating's were legalized and…procreation was attempted."

"Wow…so you exchange gifts with family and friends, have a big meal, any weddings that are planned…and then you have an orgy? Does everyone participate?"

Garrus mandibles were close to his face, a sure sign he was uncomfortable as he said "not an _ORGY_ per se…but yea, procreation in public wasn't uncommon. Like I said, most people who do celebrate it don't do it the traditional way…just get together with those closest to them and give some memory gifts and have a meal."

Lia frowned, then asked, "What's involved in a Turian mating ceremony?"

Garrus tried to look at her, wondering why she was asking, but she was cuddled against him and he couldn't see her face. "Well, at its most traditional, the couple meet with their parents at their sides and the parents exchange some memory from each of their child's youth…a picture, something memorable. That shows that each set of parents accepts their child's mate as their own child… Then the couple exchanges some small token that represents themselves and their commitment to each other.

They are each wearing a _burra_ that has their family lineage and clan colors on it, and the female gives the male hers, and he wraps it up and puts it in a special box, locking it and putting it away. The male them gives the female a burra with his markings on it. The male then allows the female to mark him and the wound is filled with a substance called _kira´tai_ which makes the mark scar. The more public the mark, the deeper the bond; true bondmates may actually leave a mark on their partner's waist or fringe. The female then offers herself to her mate, who marks her and then the kira'tai is applied. Finally the male takes his mate and washes her face clear of her family stain…"

Shepard, who had been listening fascinated, interrupted, "huh? Family stain?"

Garrus nodded, "Males have their clan colors tattooed on their faces; but females have their applied with a stain instead. The stain has to be reapplied every few years, but when they mate, the stain is removed and the male paints the female's barefaced with his clan's markings."

"So females aren't don't wear tattoos?"

Garrus shrugged, "Some choose to have them done later…especially bondmates. But no as a general rule, the females use stain and not tattoos."

"Then what?"

Garrus shrugged, "That's it really. The female's parents turn and walk away and the female is drawn into the male's family and embraced. The male's parents declare this is their daughter and part of their clan and everyone goes off and has a huge feast while the newly mated couple go to the procreation suite…basically their bedroom."

Shepard sighed, a little sad, "It sounds beautiful…", Garrus nodded, not saying anything and Shepard suddenly frowned "Wait Garrus….when your mom called me daughter…that was like…"

Garrus nodded, "Yeah…she accepted you as her daughter and my mate. She basically approved our match.."

Shepard felt her throat tighten and had to blink the tears that threated out of her eyes, Garrus was still holding her, his talons making gentle circles on her back, seemingly lost in thought.

Shepard cleared her throat and said, softly "Are all mating ceremonies that elaborate?"

Garrus shook his head, "No…mostly these days they are a lot simpler. The male gives the female the barra, and puts hers in a box and then he paints her face. Most times, it's adults who marry, so they don't always have their parent's approval, though it's easier when the parents accept the female into their clan."

"What does the barra in a box mean?"

Garrus shrugged, "If the mating doesn't work out, the male opens the box and takes his clan's barra back, removes his stain from her face and gives her back her barra. That is, if the female's clan will accept her back. If they don't, the male burns the female's barra, takes back his own and the female is left barefaced unless and until she finds a new clan through adoption or marriage. Like I've told you, it's very rare for a mating to end like that."

Shepard was thinking about what he said, and cuddled against his warmth. Sighing she pushed away from him and smiled at him, "Thanks for telling me, Garrus…it's really fascinating." Shepard's stomach took that opportunity to growl loudly and Garrus was startled out of his thoughts. Grinning, he said

"Sounds like someone forgot lunch again…" Shepard looked sheepish and Garrus grinned putting her on her feet and joining her. "Let's go get some food amica…."

Hand in hand they left their quarters, followed by Urz, and entered the elevator heading to the mess.

**CHAPTER BREAK**

Tuesday at fifteen minutes to noon, Shepard was waiting for the stragglers to gather in the mess. She had this on ship wide intercom too just in case anyone missed it, but it seemed most people were there. Smiling, Shepard stepped out and waited, relatively quickly, the crowd settled down and she said "Ok…I know you're all wondering why I asked you all here… Hopefully you've all been assured this wasn't a bad thing, but in case you haven't; relax, this is a good thing." There were scattered sighs and Shepard grinned and went on, "In case you've lost track of the days, like me, it's two weeks until Christmas; and I've decided that we could all use a break, and a bit of fun."

There was more than scattered whispers now, most excited, though several of the non-human's looked confused. Shepard went on, "So…we're going to have a Christmas Party!" This time the applause and speaking was loud and Shepard let everyone talk for a bit, watching as some of the human crew explained to the non-humans the concept of Christmas. Clearing her throat again, she said, "for those that don't know, Christmas is a holiday for humans that is marked with feasting, getting together with friends and family and the giving of gifts.

Mr. Gardner has graciously agreed to make a feast for us, Levo and Dextro, including as much fresh foods as we can find. Kasumi is going to be creating a Christmas wonderland for the party, including all the traditional Christmas stuff. And Miranda and Edi have set up a secret Santa program!" More excited talking and a scattering of applause. "Now, you're all going to get a questionnaire…be sure to fill it out as carefully as you can, since your Santa will be using that to get you a gift. Miranda needs all the questionnaires back by Thursday evening, and this is not optional folks…that's an order. This is not going to be a religious holiday, but if you are so moved, we'll set up areas for people of faiths to gather to worship. Consider this our chance to relax, enjoy each other company, eat _WAY_ too much and blow off a little steam…." Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Garrus grin and heard his chuckle, which she answer with a grin of her own, over her shoulder before going on.

"There is a limit of 30 credits for you recipient's present or presents. And if you want to give personal gifts to others, you're of course free to do so on your own time. We are docking at Illium Friday morning and Edi has set a schedule of staggered shore leave for everyone…so check the schedule and take your leave. If you don't find your perfect gift at Illium, don't panic, we're heading to Da'La on Wednesday to pick up Thane after a quick stop at Tuchunka to get Grunt, and Da'La has several nice stores and shopping; and we'll schedule staggered shore leave there too, though we'll only be there for a day and a half. I don't think I have to tell you to keep your recipient's name quiet…don't tell the person you're their Santa, don't give hints….be discreet and have fun.

If anyone has any special dietary needs, or a special food you really want, talk to Gardener; he'll do what he can to accommodate everyone. Any questions, contact Kasumi, Miranda or myself. Any questions?"

There were none, but there was a lot of excitement, even from some of the non-humans. Garrus looked around and had to admit, Shepard's plan seemed to be a great idea. Shaking his head, he opened his Omni-tool to the questionnaire that Edi had sent and began to fill it out. He wasn't the only one either, all around him people were using their Omni tools or public terminals to fill out their questionnaires. There was a lot of excitement and anticipation, but he wasn't surprised when Samara stepped up to him and said, "Officer Vakarian…I am not sure what my role is in this celebration…" Garrus glanced over at her and shrugged,

"Fill out the form and when you get the name of your recipient, read their form and get them a gift that meets their requirements. Something fun, maybe…", he looked at Samara's serious face and sighed "or not… Relax, don't think we can do too much wrong here…just buy your recipient something and give it to them. Oh, I think Shepard said to wrap the gifts up in some sort of special paper…I'm hoping the shopkeepers will have some idea what that is." Samara shook her head as she wandered away and Garrus went back to his form; he had to admit, he was just a little excited about all this. Not really the secret Santa thing, but this Christmas present thing. He'd already gotten a few idea what to get Lia; he'd given he a couple of gifts already and was emboldened by the happiness she showed when she received them. None of them were valuable, but they reminded him of her.

Late that night, Lia was making a list of gift ideas for her crew…she intended to buy everyone something small, just a special gift from their commander. Already ¾ of her crew had turned in their forms, and ½ of her team. She was still waiting for the forms for Grunt, Samara, Thane and Jack. Garrus had, to her surprise, been one of the first to put his in, followed closely by Miranda, as ordered. Since they were picking Grunt and Thane up after their stop on Illium, she'd sent the forms to them over the extra net. Well, she'd sent the form to Wrex to give to Grunt but it'd get there. Thane had been confused, but seemed willing enough.

"Commander, we have a problem with the Secret Santa…", Edi's voice seemed almost hesitant.

"Ok...what's the problem, Edi?", Shepard asked.

"We have an odd number of crew and team members, Commander. Someone will not have a Santa…"

Shepard sighed, then nodded, "Ok Edi, leave me off the list them… that should balance it out."

"Commander…" Edi's voice seemed even more hesitant, "perhaps it is best to leave me off the list…after all, I am an AI and therefore not…" but Shepard interrupted,

"Absolutely not, Edi…you're to remain on the list and take my name out of it. That's an order…"

"Very well Commander…"

**CHAPTER BREAK**

Shepard grinned, her plans were made, everything was set in motion for the crew's presents and for Garrus'. Garrus came up and grinned, "so…are you going into Illium? Perhaps to do some Christmas shopping of your own?"

Not really thinking, her mind still on the bow she wanted to put on herself to "give" to Garrus, she nodded, "Yeah…there are a few things I need…"

Garrus chuckled, "Good…I was afraid you were going to do the whole 'put a bow on your head, wear fancy underwear, what is it called? Oh, yeah, lingerie, and tell me you were my gift…"

Shepard's eyes widened, "huh" was her semi-intelligent answer.

Garrus was too busy with his data pad to really see her as he said, disdainfully, "Even Turians have heard of that cheesy little scenario…we may not have a great idea about human holidays, but jokes like that are pretty well known."

Shepard looked gob smacked, eyes wide, mouth open, her mind racing as she tried to get it to work in a semi-literate phase. Garrus looked up at her, concern flashing across his face as he said, "Amica? Are you ok?"

Struggling to make everything work, Shepard grabbed a data pad and turned around, lowering her head as she said, "Hmm? Yeah… I'm fine. Why?"

Garrus sounded both concerned and hesitant, "You looked…I don't know, upset? Did I say the wrong thing?"

Shepard shook her head, trying desperately to keep composure "No, of course not…..I just…thought of something….."

Garrus watched her, thinking back over what he's said, then his own eyes widened and he cursed his own stupidity, he said, hesitantly, "You know…if you want to buy some new lingerie and put a bow on yourself, I'd love to unwrap you, amica…"

Forcing her expression into one of disdain, while her mind raced and she wanted to just curl up and whimper, she said, "What? NO…of course not, Garrus…do you think I'm _that _ unimaginative? That I'd go with something so…cheesy for our first Christmas together?"

Garrus gazed at her, concerned, "Ok…I just didn't want you to think I wouldn't…that it wasn't…err….you know that whatever you do, I'll love, right? Or do nothing…You don't have to get me a present...I have everything I've ever wanted right here…" He drew his mate close to him, letting her snuggle her head beneath his chin and cuddle into him, as she preferred to do. He was still worried he'd violated some odd cultural rule, but that was part of being in a relationship with another species…you just had to do the best you could and hope like hell that whenever you screwed up, your mate would forgive you.

Shepard's mind was going a mile a minute, trying to figure out a new present for Garrus, reminding herself to cancel the huge bow and Lingerie she'd ordered; well, maybe she'd buy the lingerie…after all, even without a bow, she knew Garrus loved "unwrapping" her….

**CHAPTER BREAK**

Setting the final preparations with Edi regarding the music, Shepard leaned back, blowing a piece of hair off her face. She REALLY needed to cut it…but Garrus loved playing with it so much, she almost hated too…she kept thinking he'd grow tired of her hair, but so far, that hadn't happened. As though thinking of him had conjured him, the man himself wandered into the mess from the Main Battery and grinned when he saw her. Careful to stay out of the cooking area, because Gardner was in such a tizzy about the Christmas dinner and snacks that anyone who even THOUGHT about going into the kitchen when he was cooking was taking his life in his hands. Garrus made his way to his mate and sat back on his heels beside her, leaning forward to butt her head with his and say, "Still busy?"

Shepard grinned at him, "I think I'm about done…how are the _calibrations_ coming?" Garrus grinned, he was well aware that most of the crew still thought he was doing something else in the Main Battery; a thought he carefully supported since it kept most people out of there.

"Everything is fine, the guns are all online and ready if we need them. I was even able to add some firing controls in the main battery in case we need them."

Shepard made nodded, "good idea…plan for everything is a good way to live." She reached out to touch his mandible and said, her voice going from professional to playful, "So…you going to save me a dance tonight, Garrus?"

Garrus snorted, "I don't dance, amica…as well you know. And you don't either!"

Looking affronted, Shepard said, "Hey! I do so dance!"

Eyes flashing with amusement, Garrus said, "No, Shepard…you get on the dance floor and wave your arms and do you best impression of a Salarian having a seizure; you don't dance"

Shepard reached out to cuff him, mock growling, "Those are fighting words, Garrus! You just don't appreciate my style of dance because I'm human…."

Garrus shook his head, chuckling, "No, I'm pretty sure that I've seen humans dance…and whatever you do isn't it….."

Shepard looked insulted, not all of it was faked as she said, "I'll have you know that to another human, I'm very graceful on the dance floor!"

At that moment, Kaiden and Jacob both exited the elevator, talking quietly and Garrus called, "Kaiden, Jacob…you two have seen Shepard dance right?"

Jacob laughed out loud, "You mean that dying chicken meets zombie thing she does on the dance floor?"

Kaiden laughed too, "I've seen her on the dance floor, but I don't think I've ever seen her _dance_…"

Sudden silence as Shepard stood up, head high, mouth set in a firm line. All three males went silent, laughter gone. Garrus stood up, hesitantly and said, "Shepard? Dancing isn't that important…."

But Shepard gathered what was left of her dignity about herself and said, "If you'll excuse me…." As she swept through the room toward the elevator; unfortunately for her, her dignified exit was ruined by a tool box left half out from under a table. She tripped and nearly fell on her face, standing back up, she glanced around and saw all three males were trying their best not to laugh. Garrus, in particular was nearly turning blue from holding in his laughter. Shepard made it to the elevator without any more mishaps and entered; as the door closed, she distinctly heard the sound of four males breaking into nearly hysterical laughter; she'd forgotten Gardner was there. She gathered what was left of her tattered dignity and said, "My quarters, Edi…"

As soon as the door closed, Jacob, Kaiden, Gardner and Garrus lost it. Their control snapped and four began to laugh so hard that the humans were weeping. Garrus tried to gain control, but every time he'd look at Kaiden or Jacob, they'd all dissolve into laughter again. Finally, Garrus managed to find a chair, holding his gut that ached from laughing. Kaiden managed to get enough control to say, "You know…you're going to suffer the worst from this…_you_ have to live with her…" That sobered Garrus a bit and he frowned,

"Do you think she was really angry?"

Jacob and Kaiden began to head for the mess table of food as Kaiden said, "Let's just say…for the first time, I'm glad it's _YOU_ in her bed and not me….."

Garrus groaned, buried his head in his arms and muttered about women and trying to deal with them as Jacob and Kaiden got their food and went back to work.

**END**

Yes, I DID leave a slight cliffhanger….the actual party is next chapter! LMAO. Call me evil if you like…. But do it in a review please?


	23. Scene 19

Note: Ok, don't beat me…this chapter just got HUGE and there was no room for the Party. I didn't realize where my muses would go….hopefully, the next chapter will show the party and secret santa gifts, as well as PERSONAL gifts….tee hee!

CHAPTER BREAK

Garrus entered the quarters he shared with Shepard and paused, the room looked like a paper factory had exploded. There was wrapping paper, pieces of wrapping paper, ribbon and bows everywhere. And in the corner of the room stay his mate, surrounded by boxes of every shape and size. Widening his mandibles, he said, "Shepard are you almost done with your gift wrapping?"

Shepard looked up and Garrus smile widened, she had a ribbon stuck in the corner of her mouth, a piece of tape had gotten stuck in her hair and there were several pieces of wrapping paper in her lap. She grinned at him and said, "Yep…this is the last one."

Garrus craned his neck to look at the pile of colorfully wrapped packages and Shepard chuckled, "You won't find your gift in there, Vakarian, so stop looking…"

Garrus made a hrmph sound and said, "Who said I was looking for my gift…I was just wondering how many stores you managed to buy out…."

Raising an eyebrow, Shepard said, "Riiigghht… Anyway, if you want to see something I bought for you, look in the top drawer in the closet…but mind the talons, it's fragile…" Trying to not look like he was anxious, Garrus headed over to the closet and opened the top drawer, pulling out a piece of lingerie. It was a vivid, iridescent blue, the fabric was soft, almost like water between his fingers as he looked at it, he noticed that the article had a sold piece in the middle, but the waist was cut out and the rest of the sides and breast area was a thin, mesh in a deep blue. The matching panties were…what was it Shepard called it? Oh yea, a THONG…one of his very favorite types of female clothing. There was a iridescent blue upside down triangle on the front that matched the top piece, and the back was a thin string that went between his mate's very attractive butt cheeks. The effect once it was on was to show the strings at the top, but the round, firm globes of her ass were displayed to their best advantage. Just thinking about this on his mate made his plates shift, so to distract himself, he cleared his throat and turned around, holding the garment carefully in his talons, "Very nice Shepard…but I don't think it's my size…"

His mate laughed, as he'd intended her too and said, "Garrus honey, if YOU'RE planning on wearing that, maybe we need to have a serious talk…." Garrus chuckled and carefully put the garment back in the drawer, then turned and walked over to the couch, clearing off a place to sit next to his mate, then sliding his arm around her and pressing his lip plates against her temple.

"It's beautiful, amica…though not even close as beautiful as you…" Shepard smiled radiantly at him, reaching up to press her lips against his mandible,

"Ahhh, you know, Garrus…when you say things like that, all I want to do is crawl in your lap and kiss you."

Garrus smiled, leaning back on the couch and spreading his arms, "Well…lap is free…don't let me stop you….."

Shepard laughed, "Have you finished shopping for your recipient yet, Garrus?" Garrus put his arm back around her shoulders, sighing.

"Well, since you won't let me give Kaiden what I want…"

Shepard hid a smile, shaking her head and said, "You're not giving Kaiden a picture or Video of us together, Garrus…that's not in the spirit of Christmas…"

Garrus sighed, pretending to be sad, though his sub-harmonics reverbed with humor, "Fine…but I thought it was a great idea!"

Shepard gave him the look that told him to stop being an ass, and he smiled at her, "Yeah, I got him a gift, I think he'll like it…"

Looking concerned, she said, "Do I want to know what you got him?"

Garrus smiled evilly, but stopped teasing at her narrowed eyes, "I got him a software update for his L2 Implant…it will lower the feedback of his biotics use; and that should help prevent the headaches and shit.

Shepard looked momentarily surprised, then proud and loving as she moved to straddle his legs, trusting him to wrap his arms around her and prevent her from falling, which he did. "That's actually sweet, Garrus…I'm proud of you."

Garrus gave a good impression of a human rolling their eyes and said, sarcastically, "Riiigghhtt…sweet. That's me"

Lora shook her hair behind her and gave him a flirty smile, "Oh, I don't know…from my experience, you're pretty damn sweet…"

Garrus grinned at her, lowering his head he nipped her throat, lapping where he'd nipped to soothe the red spot, purring against her and feeling her shiver. She sighed, "We don't have time for this, honey…"

Garrus hissed in frustration, murmuring to her, "Sure we do…what is it you say, a quirky?"

Shepard laughed and the husky sound went straight to his cock as she said, "A quickie…and I thought you said there was no such thing with Turians."

Garrus grinned at her, "Maybe I've learned a thing or two in the last few months…."

Just then, Joker's voice came over the intercom, making Garrus curse in Turian as Shepard dropped her head on his shoulder, whimpering herself. "Commander, we'll be at Tuchunka in 10 minutes…Wrex said that Grunt is at the landing zone, ready to go…and Wrex wants to talk to you before you lift off…he'll be at the landing zone too."

Now it was Lia's turn to swear, and Joker said, surprised, "Sorry…don't kill the messenger…."

"Don't worry about it Joker…we'll be up in 5"

Shepard leaned forward, pressing her forehead against his, and sighed, "I don't think you'll be ready to go in 10 minutes…."

Garrus hated it, but she was right. "It'll take at least twenty minutes for everything to shift back…even if I…err…take care of things."

Shepard moaned, closing her eyes as she rested her forehead against him. THAT image wasn't going to help her frustrations at all.

Garrus chuckled, sliding his talons up and down her back, "I could…help you out, amica…"

But Shepard shook her head, "No, when we make love, I don't want to have to rush…it's bad enough I have to leave you in this state…but it looks like you're sitting this one out, big guy."

Garrus sighed, frustrated and irritated, "Yeah…I don't like it, but I get it. Who are you taking?"

Shepard sighed, "I'm picking up Grunt, so I don't really need anyone else…" Garrus growled,

"Humor me, amica…take at least one person with you…"

Shepard sighed, nuzzling his cheek and said, "Fine, honey…if it will make you happy…"

"It will…"

"I'll take Samara with me…that work for you?" Sighing, Garrus sighed,

"Yeah…hurry back, ok amica?"

Shepard grinned cheekily, "I will…I know what I have waiting for me…try not to start without me, ok? I shouldn't be too long…"

Garrus laughed, their foreheads were still resting against each other's, and with a sigh, he sat back, looking into her eyes, "You want me spread out on the bed, naked when you get back?"

Shepard groaned, "Now that's a fine image to send me off to meet Wrex with…." Garrus laughed as Shepard got off his lap, putting her armor on. Garrus stood up walking over to where his mate was putting her boot on and said,

"Be careful, amica…"

"Always, Garrus…" She leaned toward him, their faces close, breath intermingling as she pressed her lips against his, "I'll miss you…I wish we had more time…"

Taking a deep breath, Garrus turned her around and moved her toward the door, saying, "Ok…time for you to get off, amica…"

His mandibles fluttering as he heard her say, laughing,

"Isn't that what's supposed to happen when I get back?

Shepard's laughter as she exited their quarters and got into the elevator was his first hint that he had once more said something wrong…thinking back, he sighed and just as the elevator doors shut, he said, "that is NOT what I meant, Shepard…."

CHAPTER BREAK

Sighing, Shepard sat down in the shuttle and knocked twice on the door, letting the pilot know they were ready. Across from her, Grunt sat, looking inordinately pleased with himself. Shepard grinned, thinking back to the expression Garrus had worn when Wrex had sent him to negotiate for Grunt. Of course, her punishment had been so worth it, but the expression was priceless.

"Battlemaster…I do not understand what this _secret santa_ thing is…"

Shepard sighed, "It's a tradition, Grunt…you basically have the name of a member of the crew and you'll buy them a present. And someone has your name and will buy you something…."

"Who has my name?"

Shepard grinned, "That's why it's SECRET Santa, Grunt…you won't find that out until after the presents are exchanged."

"then how will I know if I am to receive something I want?"

Shepard frowned, "Grunt it's more about giving gifts than getting them…who is your recipient?"

"You mean who am I supposed to buy for?"

"Yeah…that's your recipient…"

"Samara…"

Shepard nodded, "Just take a look at the questionnaire she filled out and find something she'll like…"

Grunt looked upset, and said, his voice as soft as she'd ever heard it, "What if she doesn't like what I get her?

Smiling at Grunt, she reached out to pat his hand and said, "Whatever you get her, she'll like. But if you're worried go talk to Kasumi, I'll bet she'd be happy to help you."

Grunt looked a little happier, and said, "Thank you, Battlemaster…I will do that."

The shuttle docked and as she left, following Grunt, Shepard said, "Joker…set course for Da'La…time to pick up our Assassin."

"ON it, Commander…be nice to have everyone back on board again…"

Shepard grinned as she reached the elevator and said, "Ahhh, Joker…I can't wait to tell Thane you care for him…."

"What? NO! I didn't mean….ahhh, Commander…you're just mean!" Grunt chuckled and said,

"I enjoyed myself in the female camp and with my clan, but I missed this part of my clan, Battlemaster…" As they reached the engineering deck, Shepard slapped Grunt on the shoulder and said "Good to hear it, Grunt…settle in, then go see Kasumi…and remember, don't tell Samara that you're her Santa…" Grunt nodded, and exited the elevator and she pushed the button for the loft.

The doors opened on the Crew deck and Kaiden stood there. He hesitated then entered the elevator, hitting the button for the CIC. As the doors closed, Kaiden cleared his throat and said, "So…you got your Krogan back on board?"

"Yeah…he's settling back into his quarters… How are you doing, Kaiden?"

Kaiden frowned, "Fine, Shepard…I haven't said anything yet, but I think this Secret Santa and the Christmas party were really good ideas…it's good to see the crew excited about something."

Shepard nodded, smiling slightly, "Yeah giving everyone a chance to blow off some steam, connect with their fellow crew members and have some fun. You get your recipient's gift yet?"

Kaiden nodded, "Yeah…so…we're heading to pick up the Drell next?"

Shepard frowned the sudden change of topic was unusual, but she nodded, "Yes, we'll be at Da'La in a day or less and pick up Thane…"

They'd reached CIC and Kaiden started to leave the elevator, hesitated and said, "Shepard…thank you…."

Before she could ask what he was thanking her for, the doors closed. She frowned, that was odd, but she dismissed it. That was Kaiden and she'd long ago stopped trying to figure out what the biotic was thinking. Laughing a little, she noted to herself that it was a little strange that she could figure out the non-humans on her crew better than the human ones.

The doors opened onto the loft and Shepard said, "Edi...where is Garrus?"

"Officer Vakarian is currently inside your quarters, Commander."

Shepard grinned, she'd taken longer than she'd hoped on Tuchunka, but now she was back and she hoped Garrus had a surprise for her. She exited the elevator, moving to her door and triggering it; as it opened, she noticed that the lights were dimmed, the only true light coming from the fish tank. Smiling she stepped inside and headed down the stairs to see her mate standing very naked and very aroused next to their nest, holding two bottles. Garrus grinned at her in his Turian manner and Shepard returned the grin, beginning to strip off her hard suit as she walked toward her mate. "You know…if this is what I have to look forward to I might have to leave you on the ship more often…" The grin faded as Garrus said,

"Amica…."

Shepard laughed as she reached him, dropping the last of her armor and reaching her arms around his waist, "relax, Garrus…I'm kidding. I love this, but I wouldn't trade you on my six for anything…."

Garrus smiled again, then said, "Well then….I guess I can give you your early Christmas present, right?" Shepard frowned,

"Early Christmas present?"

"mmmm", and he gestured with his head toward their nest. Shepard craned her neck and saw a box sitting on her side. Inside it were three large rocks and some other items she couldn't make out.

"Ok, I give….what is it?" Garrus face fell a little, then he said, a little hesitantly,

"The lady at the store said that this was a human favorite…."

"it might be, honey…but I won't know that until you tell me what it is…."

"It's called a massage kit…it has hot rocks, massage oil…and some other stuff. I've been reading the instructions all afternoon and I think I've got it down….unless…you don't…want…"

Standing on tiptoes, Shepard kissed his chin, smiling at him, "I've never had a massage, Garrus…but I'm looking forward to it…."

Garrus' smile was back and he said, "The only thing I can't understand is that once I told her it was for my mate, the lady said that there was a guaranteed 'Happy ending" in the box…but I can't find it and it's not in the instructions…."

Shepard couldn't help it, she began to sputter and laugh, which made Garrus frown, "I missed something again, didn't I?"  
>Shepard grinned and hugged him close, "I guarantee you, Garrus….there will be a happy ending tonight, massage or not…" Garrus frowned again, then his eyes lit up as he got it, grinning, he said,<p>

"Well then…shall we get started?"

Garrus poured two glasses of wine and offered it to her, she took a sip and her eyes rolled back in her head, it was delicious. Garrus watched her carefully, before taking a drink himself. The sweet, heady taste went right to his head and he smiled at Lia. "The woman said this was strawberry wine, guaranteed to make you feel spoiled…and it's protein free, so we can both drink it." Garrus leaned forward, kissing Lia gently, his tongue darting into her mouth and tasting the sweet wine and the taste that was uniquely her own. Lia raised her hands to the fastening of her under armor, but Garrus stopped her. "no…let me?" Shepard nodded, and Garrus had wet to the fastenings, undoing them slowly, exposing her flesh and pressing his lips and tongue against each piece of skin that was exposed.

Shepard moaned, arching herself toward him, panting slightly. He slid the under armor off her shoulders and down her body to her waist. Purring slightly, he lowered his face to licked her nipples through her bra, letting her arch against him moaning. He slowly peeled the suite down her legs, freeing her from it as he nuzzled and licked at her body, paying special attention to her waist and the junction of her thighs. Her hands gripped his fringe, squeezing and relaxing, pulling gently and he growled, feeling that pressure going directly to his cock.

Carefully, Garrus stood up, stepping into their nest before picking her up and laying her down, rubbing her waist gently. "Roll over, amica…" his voice was deep and she did as he told her, laying on her belly. He began to caress her, his talons drawing gentle circles on her back as he lowered his head to nuzzle her back, the small of it just above her perfect ass. Because she'd been working she wore simple underwear and a bra that held her breasts tight. He hated this every time he pulled it off her, she'd moan at the freeing of her breasts, and when he saw them, they looked pinched and sore. Carefully, he slid the bra over her shoulders, letting her raise her arms to remove the offending object, glaring at it balefully as he tossed it away. Then he slid his hands down her body, firmly to avoid tickling her to her hips, where he grasped her panties and slid them over her legs and off her feet. Sitting back on his spurs, he gazed at her back; she was beautiful. Strong, sold and yet eminently feminine. He slid a talon down her spine, watching her arch toward his touch. Then he reached over and picked up the bottle of oil, pouring some into his hands, taking a deep breath, he was nervous in case he screwed up, but he wanted this to go right so badly. He warmed the oil in his hands, then began to rub it into her back. He rubbed her back as the instructional video had shown, sliding his hands over her suddenly slick skin. Using his thumbs, he began to rub harder, pulling muscles and rubbing them, deepening his touch to massage the deeper tissues of her back. She moaned and he glanced at her quickly, to make sure it was a good moan, and seeing her profile he smirked, it certainly seemed to be positive. He spent quite a bit of time working on her back and shoulders, then down her arms before going back up and down, massaging deeply as she groaned. "God Garrus…you have about five hundred years to stop that….", Garrus grinned,

"Like it, amica?"

"Like is too weak a word…"

Chuckling and purring, Garrus continued his massage. Working his way down her back to her waist, he was careful that he didn't tickle her. The first time he'd discovered his mates ticklish spot, he'd been fascinated; after he'd recovered from being kicked in the face. He'd been rubbing her feet and slid his talons over the arch of her foot and the violence of her response had shocked him. His mate had been very apologetic, and she'd shown her feelings and shown him what the expression "kiss it and make it better" meant. Smirking, Garrus kept his touch solid, trying not to tickle her. As he massaged the small of her back and thanked whatever quirk of evolution that had cause this to develop. His hands slid over her waist, her back, the swell of her hips, deepening massaging her body, feeling her relax to his touch. He did slide his hands over the perfect cheeks of her ass, but not for long. Then he worked his way down her legs, massaging her thighs, her calves and then moving back up. No way was he touching her feet again; she'd nearly broken his plates last time.

Once he had finished massaging her entire body, he was pleased to see that the instructions were right, she was limp and deeply relaxed. He lower his head and nuzzled her ear, "Ok, amica…ready to try something new?"

Shepard snorted, but couldn't seem to gather enough energy to move. He poured some of the other oil in his hands, warming it before applying it to her upper back and shoulder blades only. He massaged the oil in, noticing that unlike the flowery scent of the last oil, this one was a but spicy. As her skin absorbed the oil, he reached into the box picking up the heated rock it was neither the biggest, nor the smallest. The instructional vid had suggested he start with this one, to see how she'd react. He placed the rock between her shoulder blades and she tensed, hissing a little. He leaned over to look into her face, "Ok amica?"

Shepard nodded, "yeah…just heavier than I was expecting." As the heat from the rock settled into her back, she sighed, relaxing. He glanced at the instructional vid on his Omni tool to confirm how to do this next part, then took a deep breath and gripped the stone, beginning to rub it on her body, pushing gently, applying pressure as he rubbed the stone over her upper back, shoulder blades and down her ribs, all places he'd put the spicy oil. As the stone cooled, he put it back into the box and picked up the two smaller stones, holding one in each hand, he began to use them for a deep tissue massage.

By the time he'd used the stones, including handful that he lay on her back and covered with his hand, rolling them around her, the irregular shapes making her moan, she was languid and limp. He'd separated her body into sections, applied the spicy oil, then the stones. He set the rocks back into the box, and picked up the final bottle of oil, a light, fruity scent with a little thicker consistency than the others. He poured it into his hands, warming it again, then began to slide it over her body, her back, shoulders, down her waist, over her hips and ass, then down her thighs. He brought his hands up to his face and licked it. The lady at the store had said this was protein free edible lotion to finish the massage. It tasted remotely like the red fruit that Shepard was so fond of.

He saw her smile, her face on its side showing her beautiful profile, eyes half closed. Smiling back at her, he said, "Relax, amica…I think you'll like this…"

Her voice was gravely, and she clearer her throat, before trying again, "Garrus…I'm already a pool of human…I don't think I could move if I wanted too…"

Garrus smiled, the woman at the store had warned him of this…and that the next bit would perk her right up. He warmed so more oil in his hands, then began to massage the oil into her ass cheeks, slowly dipping down between her thighs, making her squirm a bit. He knelt between her legs, urging them apart, exposing her pussy to him. He continued his rubbing massaging the oil into her ass, then slowly dipped his finger down between her legs, rubbing the oil until her slit before sliding a talon into her, hearing her gasp as she moved backwards into his touch. He smiled, then he put a hand on her back, when she would have gotten up. "no…hold still, amica…I'm not done yet." She relaxed back down and he warmed so more oil, this time rubbing it directly into her slit, causing her to gasp. He rubbed it in slowly, taking his time to caress her, rub every part of her pussy. He separated her ass cheeks and ran a finger over the pucker of her anus and felt her tense, so he leaned forward, whispering in her ear, "Relax, Amica…nothing will ever happen that you don't want…." She relaxed again and he moved on, concentrating on the slit, then separating the lower lips to caress her gently, then lowered his head and tasted the oil on her most private parts. He moaned, the fruit taste mixed with the unique taste of his mate drove him nearly insane. He slid his tongue into her, her tunnel quivering. He slid his talon back into her, beginning to move in and out, reaching his hand down so he could stroke her nub, rubbing. She was moaning now, writhing beneath his touches. He smiled, sliding his talon out of her and sitting back, she mewed her displeasure and tried to arch back to him. He slid his hands under her body, rolling her to her back and gazing into her eyes as he slid his talon back into her body, moving in and out, slow and seductive, never taking his eyes off her. Removing his talon again, he saw her eyes narrow. Her eyes were misty, filled with desire and love. He smiled at her, beginning to run the oil into her belly, her thighs, then he lowered himself, never taking his eyes off of hers. He watched her the entire time, as he lowered his face, rolling her clit around with his tongue, sliding his talon back into her, then adding a second as she moaned and arched against him. He began to speed up his tongue and his talons, watching her as she squirmed, arched and moaned. He watched as her hands began to fist in the sheets, gasping each time he slid his fingers fully inside her, wriggling them as she gasped and moaned. He watched her eyes as she got closer and closer writhing more and more as he kept his tongue and fingers moving, speeding up as she gasped his name, her head falling back and her body tensing up. He finished driving her over the edge and watched as she flew to pieces, gasping and crying his name, reaching for him, gripping his fringe.

Slowly, she came back together, panting and whimpering. He smiled at her, his chin resting on her hip bone. Her hands were trembling, but sure as she reached for him, her fingers now caressing the velvety softness beneath his fringe. He reach for his cock and rubbed her juices over his cock, mixed with the fruity oil and the pre-cum that dripped from the head of his cock. He purred as he kissed his way up her body, laying next to her, then drawing his talons up her body, reaching her face, he cupped her chin, then lowered his head, kissing her, resting his forehead against her, before raising his head and sliding his talon over her full bottom list, he caressed her, until she darted her tongue out to taste his talon. He moaned, she captured his talon and drew it into her mouth, tasting both of them and the fruity oil that he'd been using. He purred louder, and she said, huskily, "mmm, strawberries….and you and me…" He moaned, leaning forward to resting his forehead against hers and used his tongue to lick her lips. She reached for him, trying to draw him to her, but he held back, nuzzling her as he said,

"No, amica…I just want to please you. Tonight is all about you…." She took his face in her hands, drawing him close and brushing her lips against him before she said, "If you want to please me…if this is my night…then please Garrus….I need you inside me. I need to feel you filling me…feel you cum inside me…I need to be joined with you…please…"

Garrus moaned, it would have taken a stronger Turian than he to refuse her. Moving swiftly, he slipped between her legs and felt her reach down grasping his cock and guiding him into her. He moaned as he felt the wet heat close around the head of his cock and he paused, moaning with her. Slowly, with infinite care, he slid himself deeper inside her, feeling her stretch to accommodate him, her tunnel tightened and released his cock, milking him, almost pulling him into her. The line of small plates on his lower abdomen rubbed slowly over her clit and she writhed, gasping.

It seemed like it took hours, but it was only seconds before he was hilted inside her, feeling her pelvis rubbing against his shifted plates, the hair tickling him, moving inside his plates to his testicles. He threw his head back, trying for patience, for control, but she was having none of it. She arched upward gripping his ass and moaning as they're bodies ground together. She moved her lips against his neck, licking and nipping him under his chin and down his throat, groaning and gasping as she felt him filling her. He growled, "Dammit amica…stop moving or I can't…."

"DON'T….let go Garrus…I need you, all of you….please take me….make me yours again…"

With a deep rumbling growl, he adjusted his body, gripping her hips and wrapping her legs around his hips, feeling her legs tighten on his waist, rhythmically, nearly driving him insane. He put his hands down on the nest beside her head, lowering his face to her, resting his forehead against hers, whispering

"I love you amica…Lia…I love you so much…I would give my life for you"

She whispered back, her lips ghosting over his cheek, "right now, honey, all I want is you; filling me, pounding inside me…I want your cum spurting inside me and I want your pleasure to meet mine…."

That did it, keeping his forehead against her, he adjusted her hips and began to thrust, harder and harder, groaning when he actually hilted inside her, grinding against her before pulling nearly out of her, then shoving himself back into her. He felt her tense and cry out, felt her body writhe as she came hard beneath him, her tunnel clutching him, tightening almost to the point of being painful. He kept thrusting as her climax faded, not giving her time to recover before he began working her back into a full climax again. After the second time she came apart beneath him, he couldn't stand it anymore. He spread his hands wider, buried his face in the pillow beside hers, growling and snarling her name, pushing her legs further apart and then he began to thrust harder, deeper. He thrust so hard that he heard the dull smack of his plates hitting her softer flesh, felt her begin to cum again, and let go of all his control, letting her cumming pull him over the edge.

Neither of them had any idea how long they lay there, joined literally as his phallus swelled up to keep him within her. Panting, he finally managed to roll them to the side, letting her collapse on him. She moaned, "God Garrus…that was…amazing."

Garrus tried to smile, but only managed to smirk as he pressed his lips plates to her temple, nuzzling her hair and said, "Yeah…"

As they fell asleep together, Garrus whispered, "I love you Lia…" Lia smiled and rubbed her face against him, whispering,

"Thank you Garrus…this was perfect…and I love you too. You're so…" as she drifted off, he heard her final word whispered on a breath, "mine…" He smiled, nuzzling her,

"yeah, I am, amica…and you're mine…nothing is going to change that…"

As he drifted off, a thought occurred just before sleep claimed him: he hoped like hell the universe didn't take that as a challenge.

CHAPTER BREAK

Shepard wandered into the shuttle bay, smiling. Nothing seemed to make her stop smiling today, after Garrus' surprise massage. She looked around and saw Kasumi directing the placement of a huge tree. Shepard laughed out loud as she saw Kaiden and Jacob as long with several other crew members with irritated expressions try to move the huge tree as Kasumi stood back, watching and making comments, "Ok...just a little to the left….a little more….Kaiden, don't let that fall! Yes! Right there…perfect…" as the men sighed, then tensed as Kasumi said, "except it should be just a _tiny_ bit to the right…." Shepard realized that the men were a hairsbreadth from throwing Kasumi out of the airlock, so she stepped up to the thief and said,

"It's perfect, Kasumi…are you going to decorate it?"

Kasumi looked over at Shepard with a smile, winking, "yes we are…we have bulbs and bows and strings of berries and popcorn and lots of other stuff. Do you think it looks good there?"

Shepard observed the tree and then the hopeful faces of Kaiden and Jacob, before she grinned, "Yes, it's perfect. Why don't you start decorating while we head down to pick up Thane?"

Kasumi nodded smiling and said "Ok ladies…let's get this tree decorated! Hold on you men…we're going to need your masculine abilities." Shepard headed for the shuttle smiling at the groans coming from the men. She hesitated as she heard Kaiden call out,

"Hey Shepard…you need me to ride along with you?" the hope in his voice made her smile, but she called back without looking,

"Sorry, Kaiden…shuttle is full…."

Garrus and Mordin came out of the elevator, and Garrus glanced at the scene before him, beginning to grin. Kasumi saw the look and called out, "Don't smirk, Garrus…as soon as you get back, I've got some decorations with your name on them."

Garrus looked horrified and hurried toward the shuttle, dragging Mordin with him. This trip, none of them were wearing armor, though Shepard was armed and was pretty sure that the others were too. AS the shuttle made its way to Da'La, Shepard turned to Mordin and said, "Do you think that your friend's treatment will work?"

Mordin nodded, "yes…Avin most dedicated researcher. Treatment for Keprels is well settled…will not necessarily cure, but will buy time. Am close to breakthrough…Avin's research will help. Should have cure before you go to Earth…"

Over the months with Mordin, Shepard had gotten used to Mordin's rapid fire communication. Now she nodded and said, "Good…I need Thane around for the Reapers. We need all the help and involvement we can get. How long will you need to talk to Avin?"

Mordin waived a hand, "hour…maybe two…will tell you when done."

Garrus grinned at Shepard, "So…what are we going to do while Mordin talks to his friend?"

In a way, Shepard hated to deflate Garrus, in another, she thought he might need the deflation. She grinned at him and said, "Gee, I don't know Garrus…maybe we'll let Thane decide…"

Garrus sighed and leaned back in his seat, "What is that name you use? Oh yeah, spoilsport…."

Mordin piped up, "Perhaps tease better description…."

Shepard smirked as Garrus stared in shock at Mordin.

Thane was sitting on a chair in the waiting area of the medical center. At his feet was his bag, and beside him were several bags with gaily wrapped packages in them. Garrus blinked,

"You've already gone shopping?"

Thane nodded, "Once the doctor explained "secret Santa" to me, I felt it would be wise to make sure my shopping was done. I understand that the Normandy will be in orbit for the next day?"

Shepard nodded, "Yeah, there are about ten people who signed up to come ashore and finish their shopping. And Miranda and Gardner needed to pick up some additional supplies for the dinner.

By the way, Miranda asked me to thank you for the heads up on the Drell holiday traditions…she's worked them into the event and Kasumi has obtained a few…items that she assures me are necessary for the event. Though, I'm not sure all of them are exactly legal…"

Thane nodded, "Ms. Goto has a unique set of skills and outlook."

Garrus smirked, "That's one way of putting it…"

The three of them walked from the medical center and Shepard grinned, "By the way, I have a surprise for both of you…"

The two males exchanged looks over her head, and Garrus said, "Ok…for _**both**_ of us?"

"Yep…", Shepard grinned, "I set us up at the shooting range for this afternoon."

Garrus and Thane's eyes both lit up and Shepard laughed. After this morning's visit with Garrus' mother, he needed something to take his mind off the situation. The treatments were helping, but she was still weak. And Solana was still extremely bitter toward Shepard, refusing to even acknowledge her despite her mother's obvious acceptance. Solana hadn't gotten Shepard alone, but that was only because Garrus refused to allow it.

At the Shooting Range, they started off on the long range, live shot. All three of them were shooting and of course, it became a contest between the two men. Shepard just shook her head and chuckled. It seemed that whenever you got two men in the same area, there became a competition. Thane spoke softly at her ear, "Siha…are you well?"

Shepard turned and smiled at the Drell as Garrus shot his targets, which were now moving. "Yeah, I'm find Thane…why?"

The Drell Assassin shrugged, his eyes never leaving her face as he said, "You seemed melancholy, Siha."

Shepard smiled at him, reaching out to squeeze his hand, "Thank you for caring, Thane…maybe later I can come talk to you?"

Thane nodded, "Of course Siha…I now have considerably more time, but it is still yours for the asking…"

Shepard said, "Ok, Thane…now that you're done with the treatment…what the heck is "Siha"?"

Thane smiled, "Siha is one of the Warrior Angels of the goddess Arashu. Arashu is the goddess of motherhood and protection and the Siha, her angel warriors are fierce in their wrath and tenacious in their protection of others. You are a Siha…you protect those you feel responsible for, and even those who do not wish you to protect them. You are fierce and nothing turns you from your goal…that is what Siha means…"

Shepard was unexpectedly choked up, "Thank you Thane…that…that means a to me…"

Thane glanced over her shoulder and said, "I will refrain, should it cause…ill will…"

Shepard glanced over her shoulder and saw that Garrus had finished and was watching the exchange, she met his eyes, and he shrugged, then Garrus said "If it doesn't bother Shepard, it doesn't bother me…besides, it's better than what some people all her…. You're up, Thane…."

Thane inclined his head and moved to take his place, giving her a soft smile on his way. Garrus moved to stand beside Shepard and she looked at him curiously, "Does it bother you? Really?"

Garrus looked like he was considering things, then shook his head and said , "No, it really doesn't…it fits you, Shepard. And while I know you're fascinated with him…", Shepard started to interrupt, but be kissed her nose and continued, "but I'm not worried."

As the three walked back to the shuttle, Thane turned to Shepard and said, "Siha…did you get the gift for your recipient?"

Shepard shook her head, "I got something for everyone…but I don't have recipient…."

Garrus frowned, "What do you mean?"

Shepard shrugged, "We had an odd number…so I told Edi to leave me off the list. I don't need a gift from someone on my crew…the fact that you're all still with me is gift enough…."

Thane and Garrus shared a look over Shepard's head and she caught it, "What?"

Garrus shook his head, "Nothing, Shepard…look…Mordin's already here…." Shepard watched him a moment, then looked at Thane's innocent face" Sighing, she let it go and climbed on the shuttle.

CHAPTER BREAK

Garrus stood next to Kasumi, Miranda, Tali and Thane and said, "So she removed herself from the program to make it an even number. I know that I'm going to get her something, and I figure that some of the rest of them are...but I think we need to work together to make sure she has a…err…public gift." All of them nodded, but Tali raised her head and said,

"Leave it to me…I have an idea…"


	24. Scene 20

**Author Note: Sorry for the delay in this. A small case of writers block, muses being busy and a new class (I'm in a Masters of Education program) and input from my daughter caused the delay. Hopefully we're back on track now…**

CHAPTER BREAK

_Deck the halls with boughs of holly_… Lia chuckled as she heard yet another Christmas carols come over the ships intercom. She wasn't sure where Edi had gotten so many of them, not to mention the songs from the non-human's holiday traditions, but they'd been playing pretty solid in the halls of the Normandy for the last 2 days. Joker had the ship in a safe place, and Edi assured everyone that she would be alert for anything dangerous while the pilot and all the rest of the crew attended the party. Since this was a ship, and shit happened, there were some "designated sober" people, in case of problem, and a few of the crew would be on duty, trading mid-way through the party with others. Everything was set up and ready.

Smiling she made her way from the elevator to the crew quarters and over to where Gardner was checking his food. "Gardner…everything ok?"

The Cook and Janitor, a combination Shepard tried REALLY hard not to think about too much, grinned at her. "Yep, Commander…food'll be ready just in time…and I've got a few surprises for desert!"

Shepard nodded, "wonderful…carry on…"

Singing softly to herself, Shepard wandered down from the mess, heading to the sickbay. There she found Dr. Chakwas puttering about, preparing things. Looking interested, Shepard said, "What are you getting ready for doctor?" Chakwas grinned,

"Hangovers…and immediate alcohol absorbing meds; just in case we need either. Though I'm relatively sure the hangover medication will be a very popular request tomorrow…" Shepard laughed, "You are a wise woman, Doctor…I take it you've gotten your present ready?"

"Oh yes…my recipient will be pleased, I hope…and you? Did you manage to prepare your gifts?" Shepard grinned,

"Yep…finished it on Da'La, thank goodness for the shops there." The two women laughed and Shepard stood up, "Well, I need to get going…I know that Miranda and Kasumi are probably going nuts with last minute stuff…."

As she exited the Med Bay, she saw Tali, Garrus, Thane and Miranda stood at the far side of the mess next to the hall leading to Miranda's office. Tali was speaking, her hands going a mile a minute and the others nodded, expressions ranging from mild interest to glee. Shepard turned and headed toward the little group, but before she got to them, Garrus met her eyes, then looked down at the group and to Shepard's surprise they scattered in separate directions. Frowning, Shepard considered this, and gazed at Garrus, who looked back with a look of innocence on his face. IT was that look that convinced Shepard that something was up, so she veered off and headed after Tali; of all of them, she had the most chance of getting the information out of her. But before she could reach Tali, Garrus cut her off and stood, smirking down at her, as she frowned.

"What's going on with you guys?"

Garrus considered playing dumb, but decided that his mate would just keep pressing. Sighing, he looked down at her, raised a hand to touch her cheek and said, "Christmas, amica….please, just this once, can you let it go?"

Lia sighed, she really hated it when something was happening and she didn't know what it was. But she understood the need for secrecy and it was, after all, just a few hours until the party. So she rubbed her cheek against his talons and said, "Ok, consider it dropped…."

Garrus looked relieved, and a little surprised, and Lia frowned, "Hey…I'm a control freak or anything….I can let things happen without me, you know…"

Garrus began to speak, then stopped himself. The idea of sleeping on the couch was a tad familiar, and not at all pleasant. So he just smiled at her and said, "Of course not, Shepard…"

Shepard narrowed her eyes, she'd seen that hesitation. It looked like she and Garrus would be having it out later. But not today; today was _CHRISTMAS_ and time for love, fun, togetherness and forgiveness….temporary anyway.

CHAPTER BREAK

Kasumi looked around the hanger bay, well pleased with herself. The section for the Christmas party was decked out in red and green. The huge tree dominating the area and beneath it, were dozens of gaily wrapped packages. Two long tables with chairs had been set up near the entrance, and a third table, minus chairs, waited for the finger foods Gardner was busy making. On the tables, at each chair, were fancy napkins and an ornate card with each person's name on it. And the finger food table held a huge, crystal punch bowl. Where on earth Gardner had THAT hidden she didn't want to know. Instead of crystal cups, however, were disposable glasses.

On the other side of the tree, there was a cleared and slightly raised area that was designated as the dance floor, with a few chairs and tables set up around it. Along one wall, was a bar that Kasumi, Miranda and Gardner had stocked with every type of booze they could find. And everywhere you looked was some indication of Christmas. There were wreaths of every color and design, paper lanterns and various items that represented the non-human's holidays.

IF she did say so herself, the place looked pretty snazzy; all that was lacking were the crew, and they'd arrive in less than 3 hours. The schedule was flexible, with the exception of dinner; since every single person was ordered to the table, the ship had to be on full auto-pilot. After what they'd gone through, none were overly pleased with that, so dinner was set for 6 pm ships time and would be finished by 7. Presents would be opened between 7 and 7:30, which made the ship unmanned for only an hour and a half…and Kasumi bet not everyone would stay that long. It was doubtful that the skeleton crew that were set to man the Normandy would remain long. At 11, the skeleton crew would change. That gave everyone time to have fun, open presents, eat dinner, have some snacks and dance a bit. The shift would change again at 3 and if everything went well, as Kasumi hoped, the party would still be going.

Shepard walked in the cargo bay, talking quietly with Garrus. Stopping just outside the elevator, she looked around and grinned. Garrus seemed a little shocked his eyes going from one item to the next, and stopping the paper lanterns that hung around as well as the Turian _kat'ras_, which were something like wreaths, but made of a living plant. There were other items around, Quarian, Drell, human items from various cultures. Shepard and Garrus walked over to Kasumi, and Shepard said, "Wow…this looks great, Kasumi!" Garrus was still gawking around, his eyes seemed drawn to all the brightly colored objects. Kasumi thought about it and realized that the Turian decorations were not really colorful. As Garrus eyes flitted from one thing to another, Kasumi grinned at Shepard, who grinned back. Kasumi said,

"He's so _cute_ when he's like this!"

Shepard grinned, "Tell me about it!"

Garrus' head swung back and he frowned at the two women, mandibles tight. "I am **not** _cute_ . I am a bad ass, killing machine with style. But I am **not** _cute_!"

Shepard and Kasumi shared a look and Kasumi said, "Right…of course you're not _cute_, Garrus. You're a deadly, vicious killing machine…."

Shepard grinned, "Right…not _cute_ at all, honey…"

Garrus glared at the two of them, made a _hrmph_ sound and stalked over the tree, pretending great interest in the decorations. Shepard and Kasumi shared a quiet chuckle before Shepard said, "It really does look great, Kasumi…but I'd better go over and soothe his fractured ego or it's going to be cold as hell in our nest tonight…"

Kasumi laughed as Shepard headed for her mate, but there was a sadness in her. She and Keiji hadn't had a Christmas together. They'd had a wild, passionate, exciting relationship, but it hadn't had time to grow into the quiet, supportive love that Garrus and Shepard obviously shared. She wasn't into non-human's romantically, though some of them were her closest friends; though Thane was certainly attractive enough to challenge that. Unfortunately for Kasumi's love life, the only really attractive human male on the ship was already taken; though neither he nor the woman seemed to admit it. Of course, there was Kaiden…but she had serious concerns about him and his feelings for Shepard; they bordered on obsession. Sighing, Kasumi turned back to the decorations, making sure everything was just right.

Shepard walked over to Garrus and wrapped her arms around his waist, gently running her hands on him s she did so, then slid her hands up over his chest to wrap over his shoulders. She stood on her tip toes and rested her chin on his shoulder turning her face to whisper, "You are definitely the biggest badass in the universe and the most deadly sniper and I wouldn't want anyone else on my six….and I love you".

Garrus reached a hand behind his back and rested it on her hip, pulling her close, sighing, "So you say _now_, Shepard…but how do I know you won't think I'm too _cute_ to take on missions?" Shepard snorted, his voice was pouting, but his sub-harmonics told her he was teasing her, mostly. There was a small bit of honest irritation, but the majority of his sub-harmonics were happy, content and loving. He purred softly and grabbed her arm, pulling her around to face him, leaning down to rest his forehead on hers as he said, "And I love you too, amica"

CHAPTER BREAK

Most of the crew were here, the finger foods were out, the punch made and being consumed. The bar was busy with laughing crewmembers talking, joking and simply having a good time. The finger foods were excellent and at 6 p.m. on the dot, Gardner, Miranda, Kasumi and six other crew members marched in carrying the meal. Everyone headed to the table as the feast was laid out. Shepard eyed the spread and grinned, she didn't want to know where Gardner had gotten the turkeys. Frowning, she saw Miranda putting a covered plate in front of Garrus as Kasumi kept his attention on her. All eyes flew to Garrus as he noticed the plate, and silence reigned as Garrus hesitantly lifted the cover and there was a roasted bird of some kind…wearing a cardboard copy of Garrus visor and armor. Garrus frowned at it, then glared at Gardner, Miranda and Kasumi as the table erupted in laughter. Gardner put up his hands and said, "It was _THEIR_ idea! And it's some kind of Palavan bird…." Miranda threw a roll at Gardner and said, though she had a small smile,

"Wonderful way to throw us under the bus, Gardner!" More laughter as Garrus pulled the "visor" off his dinner and threw it at Miranda. His aim was wonderful. The cardboard visor flew right down Miranda's cleavage and the crew wolf whistled and laughed. Garrus grinned in his Turian way, mandibles wide as Miranda tried to get the cardboard out of her shirt without flashing the table. As bowls and platters were passed around, plates were filled and people ate there was laughter and jokes as people just enjoyed being there. At the head of the table, Shepard sat, next to her Garrus ate his meal, joking with Thane, who sat on Shepard's other side. Joker and Jack sat across the table from each other and threw some pieces of rolls at each other, until one hit Grunt who prepared to throw his plate at them.

"GRUNT! No food fights!", Shepard called, grinning. Grunt growled at Joker, who was preparing to hide under the table. Jack laughed out loud and Zaeed, who was sitting next to her reached up and smacked Jack on the back of the head. For a split second, Shepard prepared to shoot Jack, but the "psychotic biotic" just laughed and elbowed the old Merc in retaliation. Smiling, Shepard paused in her eating to put her chin on her hands and just watch and listen to her crew, enjoying the day, the meal… She smiled, THIS was why they were fighting so hard…right here, family. Her crew was a family, be they her team or ship's crew they were her family and this joy was why she did what she did. She felt a hand on her thigh and looked over, Garrus was looking at her, mandibles fluttering, questions in his eyes. She smiled, leaned over and rested her head on Garrus' shoulder, taking his hand under the table. He nuzzled her head, and said softly, "You ok, Shepard?"

She nodded, gazing over her crew; Thane chuckled quietly at something Jacob was saying, Miranda was having a discussion with Samara, Grunt and Gardner were discussing something while Chakwas listened and occasionally put out a word in. Zaeed divided his attention between Jack and Joker and Kasumi while Ken and Gabby laughed at something Tali was saying. All around the table, people ate, laughed, joked and talked. Turning to Garrus Shepard smiled, "I'm perfect, Garrus…just perfect…"

CHAPTER BREAK

"Ok…let's get this show on the road, people…" Miranda stood in front of the tree and reached down to pick up a present at random. "This one is for…Dr. Chakwas…."

"Oh my…this is a large box…" Chakwas opened the present and found a black case that contained everything she needed for a portable bar; including a bottle of Serrice Ice Brandy. Inside the box was her Santa's name: Gardner. She smiled broadly at Gardner and said, "Thank you , Rupert! You'll have to come to the med bay and share a drink with me soon." Gardner flushed, but nodded.

"Edi...this one is for you…", Edi's holographic blue shape appeared and she said,

"Thank you Operative Lawson…"

Tali looked at Edi's display and said, "I've uploaded a program I wrote for you, Edi…it will let you change your holographic image… Merry Christmas, Edi…"

Edi's display dimmed, then came back and she said, "Thank you, Tali'Zorah…it will be most interesting to access those files…."

Miranda moved back to the tree and picked up another package "Jacob, this seems to be from Commander Shepard…"

Jacob looked over at Shepard, and took the gift, carefully opening the wrapping paper and revealed a box. Opening the box, he found a pair of armored gloves with the Normandy SR2 emblazoned on them and a mod for his favorite rifle. Miranda began to hand out other gifts from Shepard; each of her team members received a piece of armor, bearing the Normandy SR2 markings and something else; usually mods for weapons, or some sort of special item. Thane received a special shield generator that put a shield over his exposed chest, much to the laughter of some of the others, and Chakwas said, "It's about time… I think I've patched up your chest more than anyone else's…"

Once the boxes from Shepard were opened, the secret Santa's presents went on.

"Thane…this one is for you…", Miranda handed Thane a box which he carefully opened to reveal a pair of sunglasses which he quickly found out contained visor capabilities. Inside was a note from Kelly that Thane glanced at, his throat fluttered and he put it back in the box and said,

"Thank you Ms. Chambers…those are most appreciated."

"Let's see…this one is for Joker….", Miranda handed Joker the box and he opened it to find a Normandy SR2 baseball cap and a piece of paper that he looked at, blushed and tried to hide. Zaeed reached over and snatched it from his hands, and bellowed in laughter as he read,

"A lifetime subscription to Fornax…the electric AND physical ones…from Jack…." Joker tried to hide behind his new cap, but his smile was clear as he said,

"Thanks Jack…"

"Whatever…", Jack said nonchalantly, but everyone could hear her smile in her voice.

"Well, look here…this next one's for Jack…", there was no mistaking the smirk on Miranda's face, but there was no heat behind her words.

"Give it the fuck to me then, Cheerleader…", and there was no heat in the face of Subject Zero either. Miranda handed her the gift and Jack ripped at the paper. When she opened the box, her eyes nearly popped out of her face and a rare, full faced smile lit up her face. She ran a finger over the box which read "Tattoo Kit" and seemed to contain everything that she needed to cover every square inch of the rest of her skin with ink. She read the small slip of paper and then looked up, saw people watching her and glared at them. Turning to Zaeed, she smirked and said, "Thanks, old man…it's great…", but anyone who was familiar with Jack could her a slight tremble of her voice and hear the true warmth in her voice. Zaeed nodded,

"Figured some others onboard here might want some ink too…"

Shepard moaned, "Just what we need…the psychotic biotic giving tattoos…"

Jack turned and grinned at her, "Come on, Shepard...I'll break in that virgin skin…"

Smirking at Jack, the Commander said, "Who says I don't have a tattoo?" Suddenly every eye in the place was on the Commander as Jack stared, openly surprised,

"_**YOU**_ have a tat?"

Shepard grinned, leaning back in her chair, "Maybe I do, maybe I don't…."

And now every eye went to Garrus, who just grinned at them, and said not a word,

"Shiiittt…I'll bet it's something stupid, like a fuckin heart or a rainbow or something…", Jack was back to her normal smirk, but the true curiosity in her face made Shepard chuckle. A lot of the people in the room were still looking at Garrus, whose mandibles were widened as he sat back in his chair, the picture of relaxation.

Jacob shook his head, "Naw, I'll bet it's the N7 logo…or a Spectre tat…right Commander…?"

But Shepard just grinned, her expression never changing, giving nothing away. The majority of the crew were now openly curious, but it seemed unlikely that either the Commander or Garrus would break down. Jack frowned, then turned to Miranda and said,

"Why not ask the Cheerleader over there…she saw her buck ass naked when she rebuilt her…."

But Miranda just smiled enigmatically and said, sweetly, "I'm sorry Jack…I was a little busy and didn't take time to catalog any possible tattoos the Commander might have…"

Shepard grinned, eventually, this would blow over, but for the next little while, there was going to be a LOT of people trying to figure out if the Commander had a tattoo and what it was. She glanced at Garrus and he smirked back at her, knowing exactly what she was doing. A knowing glance at Miranda found her grinning as she winked at Shepard and turned back to get another gift.

"Mordin…this one is for you…" The Salarian moved forward to take the package from Mirada and said, "Weight interesting, off shifting, but not heavy. Multiple articles….perhaps..no…too light…maybe…"

"OPEN IT ALREADY" came from several crew as Mordin sent the Commander a grin and slid a finger under the edge of the paper, efficiently sliding it open and opening the box. Inside were three items: the soundtrack from Pirates of Penzance, an old vid from the 20th Century of Pirates of Penzance and "Pirates of Penzance: The Salarian Version…with a picture of Mordin on the cover. Mordin stared at the three items for several long moments, then read the paper and looked up at Gabby, blinking his black eyes, he had to clear his throat before he said, "My thanks, Engineer…was unaware that any copies of Salarian version remained…and other items much appreciated. Thank you…"

Gabby grinned at Mordin, "you're welcome, Mordin…I knew you loved that play, but when I came across the vid of you in it, I was surprised…and I had to get it for you…."

Mordin looked as close to tears as Shepard had ever seen him, considering she didn't even know if Salarian's _could_ cry. But he blinked his eyes several times, then sat down, clutching his gifts to his narrow chest.

Miranda moved to the tree and picked up another gift; the next one and several others were for other members of the crew. Then she picked up a very carefully and gaily wrapped gift and said,

"Garrus…this one is yours."

"Hey commander….do we need to close our eyes" that was, of course Joker, but Shepard grinned at him and said,

"Joker, I promise you, you're not getting a CHANCE to see the private gift I got Garrus…." Laughter piped from around the room and Garrus grinned a he retrieved his box, before sitting down and opening it,

"Oh wow…Thanks Thane…I didn't even know this mod was out yet! And this visor upgrade…I've been looking at it for weeks…since I saw it in "_Snipers Snipes_". Thane looked up from the sunglass visor he'd been examining and inclined his head,

"You're most welcome, Garrus…I thought you might appreciate them…."

"Kaiden…this one's for you…"

Kaiden got the package and sat down, hesitating, then simply ripping the paper, opening the box to a box with a biotic implant emblazoned on its side, "Oh…wow…an upgrade for my L2…I've heard of these, but the Alliance won't issue them…this is…wow…", he dug the slip of paper out and frowned, before looking up at Garrus and saying, "thank you, Garrus…this is very thoughtful…"

Garrus nodded, sliding an arm around Shepard's shoulders as he leaned back and nodded, "I know how bad the L2 is at feedback…migraines, shakes…this is supposed to help reduce those…."

"Ok…let's see who the next victim...err…recipient is." Miranda grinned, "that would be...Zaeed" The Merc took the wrapped package from her and opened it, pulling out a collection of gun parts. Frowning, he looked at them carefully, before an expression of dumbfounded disbelieve spread over his face. Looking at the tag, he turned to Jacob and said "Parts to rebuild Jessie? These are…incredibly difficult to get. How…?"

Jacob just grinned and said, "Let's just say I have a few connections….and I know how much you love that rifle…"

Jack grinned and elbowed the older man, "_EVERYONE_ knows how much you _love_ your gun…you talk about it enough"

Zaeed guaffed and pushed Jack's shoulder, but he nodded to Jacob, who grinned back.

Miranda got another package out and stood up, walking it to Grunt and saying, "This one is yours, Grunt…and it's from me…"

Shepard smiled, none of them knew if Grunt could actually read…not all Krogan's could. Miranda had been trying to figure out how to leave her mark, in case he couldn't.

Grunt hesitated, the package small in his huge hands; but like any youth, he gave up and grinned as he shredded the paper and held up a weapon mod, "It will….increase my weapon damage by more than half! Thank you, Miranda…this will let me kill our enemies even easier!" And to everyone's surprise, the Krogan got up and literally picked Miranda up in a crushing hug, literally off her feet and her face buried in his chest. Miranda made an odd squeaking noise and Shepard grinned, "Watch out, Grunt…if you break her, no one else will get their gifts…"

Grunt put Miranda carefully on the ground, making it clear that he'd been being very careful with her. As he turned to walk back to his seat, Miranda grabbed at her ribs, making a face which made it obvious that it wasn't careful enough. Quietly, Chakwas leaned over and placed a hypo against the genetically perfect woman's arm. Miranda nodded at Chakwas, who murmured, "Come see me after the party and we'll wrap those ribs". Grunt was obvious to the exchange, sat back down, examining his present.

Miranda picked up another gift, her movements a little slow and her voice a little pained which lessoned as the pain meds took effect, "This one's for Gabby…"

Pleased, Gabby ripped her present opened and looked at the paper inside, nearly cooing with joy, "Oh my god! It's a certificate to the "Spoil Me Spa" on Illium! I've always wanted to go there, but I never took the time….thank you" she read the paper and grinned at the pilot, "Joker! This is the best gift ever!" Of course, that started a good natured argument between the crew who had their gifts already about which was the best gift. But Garrus grinned as Miranda tried and failed to get their attention,

"No…I received the **best gift**…"

Joker frowned, "The cowl armor from the commander or the stuff from Thane?"

Garrus smirked, "The gift Shepard gave me earlier that _NONE_ of you will ever see…."

Shepard chuckled as several of the crew moaned or buried their heads in their hands. Jack laughed and said, "I told you she got him a 'happy ending"…" and Joker moaned, pretending to gag as he said, "Please Jack…I just ate….I NEVER want those images in my head…."

Laughter as Miranda said, "This one is for Gardner…"

Gardner got his gift and opened if carefully, "Multi species spices! And new cook wear! Damn…these are great!" he looked at the paper and said "thanks Kenny!"

Ken Donnelly grinned and said, in his Scottish burr "Just use them to make grub, ok Rupert? You've gotten a little lax here lately"

Gardner looked at the remains of the huge dinner and said, "Well then, I guess you don't want me to save any left overs for ya, right?"

"No! I mean yes! I want left over! I wasn't talking about this meal….this is …." More laughter as Donnelly tried to appease the cook, and Miranda picked up another gift and said,

"Samara…this one is for you…"

Samara calmly retrieved her gift, noting the sprawl of her name and sat down, opening the gift with the same care she did everything else with. Once opened, she picked up the slip of paper with a name scrawled on it and a small box. Opening the box, she pulled out a small locked on a chain and opened it. A hologram appeared of three Asari, probably before their maiden years. Samara looked at it in shock, turning to Grunt, "This is…beyond all I have expected…it is…indescribable…but where did you get these images?"

Grunt frowned, looking at Kasumi and saying, "does that mean she likes it?" before Kasumi could answer, Samara said,

"I do indeed like it a great deal, Grunt. Thank you…it is one of the best gifts I have ever received." Samara's eyes went to Kasumi who grinned at her. The question of who had gotten the holograms was apparently answered. Shepard shook her head, smiling at the tiny thief; she really could get anything. Samara gently stroked the cheek of one of the figure in the hologram and Shepard recognized a much younger Morinth, smiling broadly at the camera.

"Ok..next up is…oh….mine." Miranda removed the paper and as she did, Mordin said,

"Gift from me…second paper personal, should be discussed in private. Come see me when ready"

Miranda hesitated, then stuck the paper, unopened into her belt, before opening the second gift. A beautiful framed photo album of a beautiful young girl, who looked a lot like Miranda appeared and Miranda seemed to choke up. Shepard recognized Oriana and smiled as Miranda clutched her present to her ample chest and said, softly, "Thank you, Mordin…this is…very special." Mordin nodded to her, his eyes going back to the vids he held as Miranda went back to the tree.

"Ok…this one is for Jacob…"

Jack grinned, "let's hope it aint from the Cheerleader…or Joker might have to bleach his eyes…" Miranda shook her head as Jacob's dark cheeks suffused with blood. He took the gift carefully as Miranda said,

"Remember, Jack…my recipient was Grunt…" As Jack shook her head, Miranda smile a tad evilly and said "And any gift I might give Jacob in private would make you all bleach your eyes out…" Moans and laughed as Joker pretended to throw up, but grinned anyway as Jacob shook his head, a small, very please smile on his face that made Jack go "ewwwwww".

Jacob opened his gift to reveal a beautiful leather jacket and matching pants and shirt. He was in awe, reading Chakwas name, he gazed at her in shock, "Real leather? Where did you get…this is amazing!"

Chakwas grinned again, "You're not the only one is contacts, young man…though I wouldn't look to closely at the exact creature that came from…" Considering the jacked was a vivid green with patches of red, more than one set of eyes flew to Thane, who stared back at them, unblinking. Chakwas pretended to be outraged as she said, "My goodness…do you all think I'd actually skin a sentient creature to get that outfit?" Relieved laughter followed her announcement, until Thane said, with his quiet dignity, "It does, however, smell rather familiar…."

Absolute silence, all eyes looked between a rather surprised looking Chakwas and Thane…until Shepard sputtered into laughter and said, "Was that a _**joke**_ Thane?"  
>Thane simply nodded at her, though she saw the humor in his eyes, "Perhaps, Siha…it is similar to your potential tattoo; I will neither confirm, nor deny the charge…."<p>

As the crew laughed and joked, Miranda found the next gift, "Tali-Zorah, this appears to be for you…"

Tali hurried to her gift, unwrapping it in glee and opened the box, reading the name printed on the paper, before taking out the carefully wrapped item from the box, "Keelah! Samara! These Enviro-Suit programs are wonderful; and so hard to find! And a food sterilizer! That means I can eat much more food, because I can sterilize it myself! Thank you!"

Samara inclined her head, still grasping her own gift, "You are welcome, Tali-Zorah…I am pleased that you like them…" As Tali went back to her seat, clasping her gift to her chest, Miranda picked up the next gift,

"Ken, this is yours…and it's rather large!"

Ken got up and grabbed his gift, which was, as Miranda had said, much larger than most of the previous gifts. Setting it on the table, he unwrapped it, glancing at the name on the paper, he gasped when he revealed a portable Skyllian Five table and cards. "Oh, wow...Kaiden, thank you! This is a wunnerful gift!"

Kaiden nodded, smiling, "You're welcome, Donnelly…maybe now I can win back what I've lost to you…"

"HA! Not unless you booby trapped the table!"

Shepard smiled as she listened to her crew laughing and joking. Glancing over at her mate, she saw him smiling at her and knew he was thinking the same thing she was. This party had been a wonderful idea…

"Kasumi…" Kasumi rose with her normal graceful joy and picked up her gift, unwrapping it carefully, she read the typed note with the name on it and opened the box, gasping at what she found,  
>"Edi! Some of these are not even legal!"<p>

Shepard cleared her throat, "I'll pretend I didn't hear that….or see that… what is it?"

Kasumi was going through the items in the box, she glanced at Shepard and said, "Upgrades for my cloak…I'll be even quieter and for longer now!"

Kaiden groaned, and he wasn't the only one a Joker said, "Great…thanks Edi…just what we need….now she'll be even BETTER at sneaking up on us!"

Edi's voice came over the intercom, and Shepard could have sworn there was humor in it as she said, "Well, Jeff…perhaps if you do not read the _articles_ in your magazine from Jack on the bridge, Ms. Goto will not have anything to sneak up on your for…"

"EDI! I didn't…I've never….I mean, that's pr…EDI!" as Joker blushed bright red, the crew laughed, and Shepard said,

"Riiigghhtt, Joker…you _never_…."

"Commander, would you like to see the security recordings from the bridge in the late nights hours…"

Half the crew, including Shepard and Garrus shouted, "NO!"

"Edi, I _will_ get you back for this!"

"Jeff, what is it you say? You can _add it to the list_…"

"Legion, this one is for you…"

Legion moved with a typical Geth movements and carefully removed the wrapping paper, before opening the box, reading the paper and saying, "Goto-Thief…these will be most welcome…the ability to read different…"

Kasumi, with a wide eyed glance at Shepard, said, "Legion…I doubt most people are interested in what they do…do you like the armor?"

Shepard frowned, this didn't sound good, "Legion, what do those allow you to read?" As Kasumi groaned the Geth answered,

"Files of greater encryption than we have had access to prior…."

Shepard narrowed her eyes at the lithe thief and said, "You. Me. Comm Room. Later." Then she turned to Legion, trying to ignore the horrified face of Tali, "Legion, I hope you'll use that gift...appropriately."

"Shepard-Commander…we will use it only to assist in defeating the reapers…not to endanger our...friends"

Shepard looked at Tali with a "what can I do" expression, and Tali, shook her head, despite the situation, she smiled with good humor. Shepard craned her head, trying to see the armor, "What is the armor, Legion?"

Legion held up the Armor, allowing everyone to see that it was a piece of the Normandy's hull. Shepard grinned, "now that's recycling."

Miranda picked up the final gift and handed it to a nearly bouncing Kelly, "Here you go…", Kelly, by process of elimination, turned to Legion as she opened her gift, gleefully, revealing Omni tool updates. She squealed, "Oh my god! Legion! Language translations! And Multi Species Mental defect lists! Thaank you! These will come in SO handy!"

"You are welcome, Chamber-Yeoman…we are hopeful that you will able to use it in your work."

Shepard groaned, "Just what they needed…Kelly with more ammunition to "diagnose" people…

Gifts done, the first shift headed out to their stations and the rest of the people broke up into smaller groups, thanking their Santa's, or just talking. Kasumi seemed to have disappeared, but Shepard wasn't worried, it wasn't like Kasumi was getting off the ship. Then the music started up and several of the crew headed to the dance floor.

_**END**_

**Author Note: Ok, the rest of the party will be in the next chapter. Drunk Krogen…tipsy Drell…and various other interesting and hopefully readable encounters as they "dance the night away"**


	25. Scene 21

Shepard stood in the back of the cargo hold watching her crew having a blast. The music was playing, a mixture of modern dance music, oldies but goodies and holiday music from various different cultures and species. Shepard grinned as Zaeed pulled Miranda out on the dance floor, much to Jacob's narrowed eyed disgust. The older Merc was actually pretty light on his feet, and Miranda laughed as he twirled her around the floor. As the music changed, Zaeed moved on to Chakwas, who proved to be a slightly more experienced dancer and she and Zaeed danced to several songs together. Jacob glared at Miranda when she walked back to him, and she simply smirked at him. He snapped around on his heel, but Miranda reached out and grabbed his arm, stepping up close to him and whispered something in his ear. Jacob stood tense, but as Miranda continued talking to him, he began to relax. Just as the song changed to something slow, Miranda pulled Jacob around and out on the dance floor, moving into his arms as the music moved on slow and sensuous.

Shepard watched, amused, as Kaiden asked Kasumi to dance, stiff and awkward and she placed her hand in his, walking out on the floor. Joker moved to stand beside Jack, and she turned to sneer at him. Joker's face fell, though he didn't look at her; Jack glanced over at him, then made a strange face and reached down to grab his hand and pull him onto the floor, being far more gentle than Shepard had ever seen her. Ken and Gabby danced on one edge of the dance floor as Mordin and Samara moved to the other. Shepard raised her eyebrows at those two, but chuckled. Tali was standing next to Legion, hands waiving as she pointed at the dance floor and Shepard snorted as she realized that the little Quarian engineer was trying to explain dancing to the Geth. Shepard glanced around and found Grunt sitting at the bar, well on his way to being completely drunk off his massive ass. Next to Grunt, unobtrusively trying to take some of the bottles away, was Garrus. As though he felt her eyes on him, Garrus looked up, met her eyes and smirked at her, before turning back to Grunt.

"Siha, you seem so melancholy…are you well?" Shepard turned to see Thane standing directly behind her. She smiled at him, though she could tell he was a bit tipsy, the enigmatic Drell seemed no different than normal,

"I'm fine, Thane…just enjoying myself…"

"Here in the shadows, by yourself, simply watching?"

Shepard started, then said, "Well, you seem to be in the same boat…"

Thane gave her a gentle look and said, "Siha, I have far more reasons for staying in the shadows than one as bright and fierce as you. Come…dance with me?"

Shepard smiled, "I'm not really a good dancer, Thane…just ask anyone…"

Thane smiled, "Ahh, Siha…come and let me show you the trick to dancing…"

Frowning, Shepard looked at him and then smiled, "Fine…but don't blame me if I stomp on your feet…"

"My feet will recover, Siha…but my soul will not if I leave you in the shadows…"

Shepard looked at him, surprised, but he already had his hand on her back, guiding her to the floor. As they entered the dance floor, she glanced over at Garrus, who was smirking at her, Kaiden glanced over and said, "Better watch out, Krios…the Commander is a lot of things, but light on your feet isn't one of them…"

Shepard looked down, smiling, but not as broadly as she had been. But Thane reached out and turned her to him, raising her face to look at him, "Siha, do not listen to anyone by me…just relax and allow me to guide you…I promise, I will not allow harm to come to you…"

Shepard wasn't big on letting someone else lead or guide her, but the comments of Garrus, Jacob and Kaiden really had hurt her feelings little, despite her covering it. So she relaxed her hands on Thane's shoulders, resting her head on his chest and allowing him to guide them around the dance floor. In a few minutes, she found herself relaxing and enjoying herself; she felt the rumble of Thane's voice as he said, softly, "There Siha…see, you are dancing and it is not that difficult…I assure you that my feet are quite safe…."

Shepard looked up at him, her smile turning radiant, seeing him smiling down at her as they glided around the dance floor. She looked around and would have stopped still, except for Thane's hands continuing to guide her. Most of the other dancers had stepped aside and were standing watching she and Thane. Kaiden and Jacob both stared at her in shock; but it Garrus' expression that really surprised her. Garrus watched, surprised as she danced with Thane, then as she watched, his eyes narrowed, and with a start, she realized he was annoyed. Sighing, she began to tell Thane she had to go, but Thane's soft voice stopped her, "Ignore them, Siha…it is good for all of them to see you out here. Most especially your mate…they should not have tortured you regarding your skills…nor laughed at you."

Surprised she looked up, "You heard that?"

Thane nodded, "Yes…and I would have intervened, but did not wish to make you more of a target. But it was un-necessary and cruel. Now relax, Siha…just allow the music to flow through you."

A few minutes later, the music ended and Thane delivered her back to the edge of the dance floor, bowing to her with a smirk as he turned and walk off, disappearing into the shadows. The music picked up and many of the couples moved apart, dancing faster. Shepard glanced around her but Garrus was nowhere in sight. Jacob, however, walked over with a smirking Miranda in tow and said, "Wow Shepard…have you been practicing? Looking pretty good out there with Thane…."

Shepard was saved from answering by a loud noise from the dance floor. She looked up and realized two things; one, Grunt was completely, off his ass, sheets to the wind drunk. And two he was _DANCING_; complete with waving arms stomping feet and hip thrusts. Staring, wide eyed and fairly sure she needed to find that eye bleach Joker was always talking about, she wanted to look away, she really did…but she found she just couldn't stop watching. She glanced over and saw Jacob watching Grunt with the type of disturbed fascination, face slack in shock. Miranda, on the other hand, had her eyebrows nearly in her hair and was shaking her head at the scene before her.

As they watched Grunt reached out and grabbed Gabby, twirling her around and nearly throwing her off her feet. Luckily, Ken managed to grab her and pull her to safely as Grunt kept gyrating not even close to the beat of the music. Kaiden stepped up beside them, head cocked to the side, also watching the train wreck that was the drunk Krogen dancing, "Shepard, I take it back…you are NOT the worst dancer I've ever seen"

Zaeed was laughing and slapping his leg and Chakwas was downright giggling, and Kasumi was staring in horror as Grunt worked his way closer and closer to the tree she'd spent so much time decorating. Suddenly, the music stopped, and Shepard looked over to see Samara striding to the dance floor, Grunt grabbed her and began to gyrate into her she kept his attention as Mordin, to Shepard's surprise, moved up behind the drunk and disorderly dancing Krogen and stabbed him with something, then fled. Samara stepped back as Grunt kept dancing, then threw his arms wide and screamed, "_**I AM KRO**_…" and fell face first onto the floor; snoring almost before he hit the ground.

Several of the crew grabbed Grunt and hauled him to the elevator and disappeared, hopefully to drop Grunt off in his room. After a few minutes, the party began to get back on, mostly due to Kasumi and Miranda's pushing. The music picked up, though Shepard heard Miranda telling Edi "NEVER play that song again…none of us need a reminder of that…that…image."

Shaking her head, Shepard made the rounds talking to people, laughing and joking. She kept her eye out for Garrus, but found him nowhere to be seen. She was beginning to get a little worried. As she reached the far side of the room she felt her mate's talons close around her waist. Startled she looked up at him, eyes wide as he pulled her backwards. He glared at her and she gazed back waiting for him to speak. Before he could, however, she heard Jack laugh and say, "Hey Shepard…look up!"

Shepard looked up and saw that she and Garrus were standing directly under the mistletoe. Garrus frowned as he looked up then back at her, shaking his head, obviously confused. Shepard sighed, he was obviously irritated, so this was not the best time, however with the entire crew watching, she didn't want to cause a scene. Shepard said, "That's mistletoe, Garrus…human tradition says that if you stop under the mistletoe, you have to kiss the person you're there with…." Garrus frowned,

"Why?"

Shepard shrugged, "I don't know…it's just…tradition." Garrus eyes gleamed and Shepard felt like a mouse being watched by a particularly hungry hawk. Garrus put his hand behind her neck and at her waist and dipped her, gazing into her eyes as he held her parallel to the ground and smirked at her, then kissed her, his tongue delving into her mouth, deepening the kiss as he held her there. Shepard was dimly aware of the crew laughing, the cat calls and whistles, then Garrus stood her back up, smirking at her as the crew continued to shout good natured sentiments and cat calls. She laughed with them, waving her hand in front of her face as if to dispel heat. Garrus laughed too, but every time she looked at him, she saw him watching her with that strange expression on his face.

That was TWICE tonight that she'd been the center of attention. And damned if the dance with Thane hadn't been less embarrassing.

CHAPTER BREAK

As the night wore on, Shepard was aware of people coming and going, but she didn't pay much attention; it was a party, after all. When Tali stood up on the table and clinked a knife against a glass, trying to get everyone's attention, Shepard frowned. But it took Jack and a loud, piercing whistle to get everyone's attention. As people watched, Tali said, "Shepard…we know what you did…"

Shepard frowned, :_what I did?:, _Shepard thought

"and while it's all noble and sacrifice-y…?

_:is that even a word:_, Shepard thought, feeling like an exhibit at a zoo :_and this is Shepard Killedareaper, a strange creature that seemed to be the last of her kind:_ Shepard chuckled inwardly, but continued to listen to Tali.

"…and we don't think it's fair that you didn't get a present from a Santa."

_:oooohhhh, __**that's**__ what she's talking about:_

"so we all got together and got you something. You're special to us, Shepard…there isn't a person on this ship who you haven't saved, directly or indirectly. You've even saved some of us multiple times. When I read up on this _Christmas_ thing, I found out that the real Santa gave out gifts just to make people happy, he never got anything in return and that sounds so much like you. Anyway, I know you've probably been holding a dialog in your head during this, because you hate speeches, but this is from the entire crew, your ground team, your ship's crew…even Wrex and Urz. We hope that you like it…. And that, at your low points, you remember how much you mean to all of us. How we're all blessed to have you lead us, and honored to call you friend.

The box they put beside her was not huge, but it was good size. She glanced around at her crew and then with a grin, ripped the paper like a child. Garrus chuckled, "real mature there, savior of the galaxy…" and then reached over to Jack and held out his hand, who grumbled but slapped a credit chit in his hand. Shepard laughed, but continued opening her gift. When she lifted the box she had to take a deep breath. There was a dress uniform, brass buttons polished stiff undershirt brilliant white. But instead of Cerberus colors or the colors of the Alliance, this was done in silver, white and red. On the chest were her rank insignias, and on the shoulder was a patch; the Normandy SR2 was in sharp relief, but behind her was a smaller image of the original Normandy and around the edges at the top were the words Veni, Vidi, Vici and on the bottom "Shepard's Alliance for Peace". Wrapped around the neck of the uniform were dog tags.

Shepard felt the tears behind her eyes, but refused to shed them. This was…beyond all thoughts. She raised her hands, putting them over her nose and mouth, trying to quietly wipe the tear or three that had leaked from her eyes. She looked up at her crew, at her family and said, "Thank you…everyone. This is the most special…most important gift that I've ever gotten." Looking around, she noticed that every single one of them wore the same patch as was on the uniform.

Thane spoke, gently, "Continue going through the contents, Siha…."

Shepard looked at the Assassin, who seemed to be swaying just a tad, and said, "Yeah….ok" She removed the dress uniform and found a paper, done in a heavy, flowing Script

I, _fill in name _ do hereby affirm that by joining the Shepard Alliance of Peace I agree to follow Commander Lia Shepard wherever she may lead. I will uphold my job and do everything in my power to assist Commander Shepard in the completion of her duties. I join the Shepard's Alliance For Peace of my own free will, being of sound mind and I am aware that death is a possibility. Even if we are forced to separate I will return to Shepard's side immediately upon request, and if not requested, I will find her and join her anyway. I will follow Shepard in the mouth of hell itself, because I know that she will never ask what she is not willing to do herself. I take this vow seriously, I affirm that I am dedicated to the cause, because I know that Commander Lia Shepard speaks only the truth, and if anyone can save us, she can."

And every single person on board her ship had signed this piece of paper. Shepard choked up again, the crew trusted her. The Council, the leaders of the Alliance, of Asari, Turian, Hanar…all of the Council races dismissed her, but her crew, they knew she was doing the right thing and they were vowing to follow her wherever she may lead them. She looked up, eyes too bright, but still holding back most of the tears. She began to speak, but Garrus squeezed her shoulder and said "Keep going…there's more"

"MORE?" Shepard asked, surprised. "But this is…this is amazing, what else could you have given me…. Beneath the letters were more clothes, this time ship clothes, loose pants, tank tops, tunic tops…even a hoodie and every single one bore the patch that was on her "dress uniform". She shook her head, but then noticed one more thing. She picked it up and saw it was meant to be scanned by her Omni Tool, so she did. When she opened it, there were pictures, videos. She pulled one up and it was Tali, speaking to the camera, "Shepard, you are my best friend…and I trust you with my life…You've saved my life more times than I can count and you've always been there for me. I want you to know that I believe in you…it wouldn't matter if you told me that the galaxy was about to be attacked by pink bunnies wearing clothes; I'd grab my shotgun and get ready to fight."

There were other files, some video talks, photos of her and her team, her crew, many of them were candid's, when she didn't know that she was being photographed. IN one she was standing next to Tali, they were laughing and she could almost hear it. There was a photograph of she and Thane in Life Support, during one of their long talks, she had her head thrown back, laughing and even the enigmatic Drell was smiling a little. Swallowing hard, Shepard looked around her at the people who had become more than a crew, they were her family. And this proved that they felt the same way.

Then Miranda spoke up, "You might not want to watch it all at once, Comm…Shepard. It got a tad long there…"

Shepard nodded, began to speak, then had to clear her throat before she could speak "Thank you…this is…this is the most perfect gift that I've ever gotten. It means…more than you can know… She glanced down at the next photo and the tears finally spilled over; it was a photo of she and Garrus, standing with their foreheads touching. Tears fell from her eyes and she managed to stutter another thanks before standing up and saying, "This is the best gift of the night, bar none…now everyone enjoy the party, I need to…. Need to make a check of the crew on duty….

She wasn't fooling anyone, but there were several not so dry eyes and smiles as they watched her duck into the elevator, Garrus managing to join her at the last moment. They all knew the Commander wasn't one to cry in public, nor show any emotion really; except humor and laughter. Shepard leaned against the wall of the elevator and since it was just her mate, she let the tears fall. He reached out soundlessly, and stopped the elevator, pulling her close to him. She nuzzled her face into his throat and he held her while she wept. He knew the tears were mostly "happy tears", human emotions really were _weird_, but still he held her. He was her mate, and if she needed anything, he'd die to give it to her. When she got some control, he pushed the button her their quarters and watched her as the elevator rose.

IN their quarters, Shepard sniffled and went to splash cold water on her face as Garrus fussed about in their living quarters. When she came out of the room, Garrus was sitting nervously on the edge of their nest and when she came down the steps, she saw why he was nervous. There on the table in front of him, was a small box. She looked up at him and he fidgeted, which Shepard had always loved to see. She walked over, wrapped her arms around him and said, "You didn't have to get me anything else…I thought we'd exchanged presents before?" Garrus grinned, thinking of their gift exchange and how it had ended. But then he went back to nervous and said, "This is just…a little something extra. And before you go off on "but I didn't get you anything extra", remember you told me that Christmas is about giving, not receiving. Besides," his grin gave away his next words, "if you want to give me another gift, then I'm not opposed to another gift like the one I got earlier…." Shepard laughed, for a Turian that had, at the beginning been very unsure of oral sex he'd warmed up to it rather quickly.

Shepard sat down, carefully unwrapped the gift and opened it and gasped. Inside the velvet lined box lay an absolutely beautiful stone, ornately set on a beautiful chain. When she picked up the stone, it started as an opaque, whitish grey, almost pearl like stone, but when she picked it up, it warmed in her hand, began to glow and darkened to a deep, cobalt blue. The stone was rounded and almost flat, though at one end, it had a straight cut, as though someone had cut it in half. As she looked into it, she saw an image appear of she and Garrus. She looked up, surprised and Garrus said, "It's a stone native to Palavan…they call is a lovers rock. It changes color based on the wearers emotion…"

"Like a mood ring?", the words didn't translate, but Garrus went on anyway,

"And it shows you an image of your love. For Bondmates, it gives a connection…", Garrus held up another stone, very similar in appearance and with the same straight mark on the bottom, and Shepard understood. The stone in her hand and the one in Garrus hand had been one stone, and they each held one half. The stone in Garrus' hand glowed a deep green, and she could just make out an image of she and Garrus in their nest, entwined.

Shepard said, "What kind of connection?"

Clearing his throat, Garrus said, almost bashful, "It will give you an indication of my mood…when they're put together…", Garrus walked over and did so , and the stones immediately clicked together, like two magnets and turned a deep, burning red. "It shows the emotions of the joined pair." He stepped away a little and the stones separated, and Shepard could swear there was a keen as it happened.

"Can we use them to communicate…" Garrus shook his head, his sub-harmonics sad,

"No…they just give an indication of the partner's mood, emotions, sometimes they'll react to stress or adrenaline."

A thought occurred to Shepard and she picked up her stone, concentrating on how much she loved Garrus, how deep her feelings were and heard him gasp, then purr. She looked and his stone and here were both a deep, vibrant blue. Garrus looked at her and said, "What were you thinking?"

"How much I love you…"

Garrus reached out and stroked her hair, sliding a talon through it, "I love you too, amica" He held his stone and thought about how much he loved her and the brilliant blue that had begun to face back to the normal blue of the stones, deepened and brightened. Shepard laughed, delighted,

"We may not be able to talk, but at least we can tell each other we love them…", now it was her turn to look a little sad. And Garrus purposely shrugged off his melancholy as he smirked at her and said,

"You notice it changes to blue, right?"

Shepard laughed, as he'd intended, "So you're saying your colors are the colors of love?"

Doing his best impression of a sly wink, he said, "How about we see what other colors we can make them turn, amica?"

The Christmas party raged on below them, but in her quarters, there was an even better party.


	26. Scene 22

"you won't believe it, Gabby…but I swear! Come to the crew quarters and I'll show you…it's….it's just…wow!" Yeoman Kelly chambers tried to keep her voice down, but she was just so excited. She shut off the comm and turned back to the extranet site she was perusing. Of course, she didn't _usually_ read this type of trash journalism. But she'd been innocently trying to gather information…just to better understand and help her crew, of course! And then THIS had come up and she just couldn't control her curiosity. And once she'd started reading, she was lost; and she just had to share it with her friend.

Gabby exited the elevator, she swore that if Kelly were playing a joke on her and making her miss her break with Ken, she'd beat the red head bloody. Nodding at some of her fellow crew, she noticed that Commander Shepard was sitting in the Mess with several of her ground team. They seemed to be enjoying their conversation; laughing at each other. Even Thane sat with them, and he almost never came out of Life Support. Gabby sighed, Thane was just yummy…if you were into that sort of thing…which she wasn't…usually. Ducking into the crew quarters, she headed over to where Kelly sat, her Omni tool now busy as she made notes; :_notes?_ Gabby wondered exactly how detailed this "article" was.

She sat down and Kelly chirped, startled and looking guilty. Gabby said, "Ok, Kelly…what's so great I have to take a break half way through my shift?"

Kelly turned the screen so that Gabby could read it too, and her eyes about bugged out of her head…

**BEGIN TABLOID REPORT**

Everyone knows that the Galactic Sweetheart Commander Lia Shepard is currently heating up the sheets with high ranking Turian official Garrus Vakarian. Neither Commander Shepard, nor Garrus Vakarian (of the famous Palavan Vakarians, the closest the Turians get to royalty) have ever denied the suggestion, and both seem very proud of their tryst, leading many to the conclusion that Lia and Garrus are a permanent couple. A source close to the couple told this reporter that Garrus currently moved his belongings into the Commanders private, luxurious quarters and the two appear to be very much in love.

That public acknowledgement has created a huge outpouring of support in both the Turian and Human publics. Human/Turian relationships have risen by over 400% and other mixed couples are becoming more and more popular. But settling into a new relationship can be very difficult in the best of circumstances, added to that the interspecies awkwardness. Thus the idea for this series was born.

In this series, we will attempt to give some suggestions to help a newbie Xeno-Lover with the ins and outs, so to speak, of their new relationship. And the articles are not just for newbies…even those in established relationships may benefit from the information. The Series of Articles to be known as "Navigating your Human/Turian Relationship"

The first article in the series is entitled "How to pleasure your Turian lover" which gives input into the various erogenous zones as well as places to avoid. We will also cover, in a later article, for our Turian readers, some of the more popular zones for humans. Cause we all know that once you've got Turian in the sack, you never go back!

Other Future Titles

Catching (and keeping!) your Turian Lover

How to Catch and Release your Turian Love

Cultural Dos and Don'ts for Mixed Turian/Human Couples

Turian Words and their meanings

Courtship and Marriage Conventions: a comparison of Turian and Human couples.

Fighting (and making up) in a cross species relationship.

Sub-Harmonics, Vocalizations and other sounds.

_**START ARTICLE….**_

_**How to Please Your Turian….**_

_**By Mandy Moore**_

So you've met "Mr. Right" and he happens to have talons and a Fringe. I know you're wondering where to touch him (or HER!) to create the right mood.

_**Author Interrupt: Since FF won't let me use photos in my documents, if you want to see the image for this article, go to**__ http:/ .com / albums / jj263 / myshadowridge / _ (take out all spaces).

The Fringe.

The Fringe is exceptionally sensitive, being their primary (next to a male's phallus) sex organ

Under the Fringe

Internal phallus accessed through a pate that drops when the male is aroused.

Pectoral Ridge

Hip dips

Outer Hump

Under the chin

Also holds scent glands that are used to mark a female.

Connected to the mandibles which are used to hold a female in place.

**Places to avoid…**

Never touch a Turian's spurs, they are very sensitive and may result in an attack that can injure or kill their human lover. Also, you want to avoid the area between the ribs and hips, as this can injure and sometimes kill a Turian.

**END TABLOID**

Gabby finished reading and raised her head, eyes round as she stared at Kelly, who was nearly bouncing in her seat in excitement. "Oh my god, Kelly…this is…"

Kelly smiled, "I told you! This is so cool! I had no idea that their hips were so sensitive…no wonder Commander Shepard spends so much time holding onto his hips…."

Gabby frowned, she didn't remember the Commander ever paying special attention to Garrus hips; she'd wrap an arm around his waist, sure…but not his hips. And waists weren't mentioned in the article. Shaking her head to stop that line of thinking, Gabby said,

"We have to say something, Kelly…"

Kelly froze, looking like a deer in the headlights, "Are you _insane_? Do you know what Commander Shepard, not to mention Officer Vakarian would **DO** if they knew we'd read this?"

Gabby shook her head, looking worried, "Hey! You found this, I just came up because you said you'd found something interesting! Don't blame this on ME! Besides, we can't _not_ tell them…this is like….stalking or invasion of privacy or something…"

Kelly hissed, as the door opened and another crew-woman entered the room, "We didn't _WRITE_ this, just came across it on an extranet search!"

Gabby looked irritated, "What were you searching for, Kelly, that you found "How to please your Turian lover in an EXTRANET search?"

Kelly was about to answer, when the crew-member who had entered came over and read over Kelly's shoulder before either Kelly or Gabby could stop her. The Crew-woman, Lisa Holden, gasped, "Oh my god…is that article about Commander Shepard?"

CHAPTER BREAK

Shepard left Life Support with a smile on her face, she enjoyed talking to Thane, but today was more humorous because he had a hangover from his imbibing at the Christmas Party. The usually cool, enigmatic Drell who sat meditating even when speaking to her, was currently sprawled somewhat less than elegantly with a cloth over the sunglasses over his eyes. Thinking back, she remembered walking in.

"Thane? Do you have a minute?" A groan met her question and Shepard hurried into the room, afraid that Thane might be sick or injured. Had the Keprels come back? Was the treatment not working anymore? But when she came around the corner, she saw the slender, elegant Drell, who was rarely seen without his jacket, sprawled across his bunk, sunglasses on as he moaned, "Perhaps later, Siha? I am…somewhat indisposed at the present time…."

Shepard took in the very cool jacket on the floor, having evidently been tossed at the table and missed. She noticed that he still wore his pants (a surge of disappointment surprised her) and vest as well as one boot. His sunglasses were slightly askew, and his mouth was drawn together. Hesitantly, she said, "Are you all right, Thane?"

"Please, Siha…if you have any empathy at all, do not shout so…"

Shepard grinned, she now knew without a doubt what was wrong, "Thane…do you have a hangover?"

Another groan, "Siha, I will give you anything in the universe you desire, if you please lower your voice…"

Still grinning, Shepard moved to stand next to him, leaning over to remove his boot, he tensed, but then relaxed as he realized it was Shepard, and she was no danger to him. Shepard removed his boot and set them by his bed, then tried to help move him to a more comfortable position, before turning to pick up the jacket she really liked and hung it on the hanger that was obviously made for it. Then she turned to Thane, who still his arm over his eyes and said, speaking as softly as she could, "I'll call Dr. Chakwas and she'll…." She was cut off as Thane moved, not as graceful as his usual self, but still more quickly than she expected and grabbed her arm. His grip was firm, but not harsh and she noticed his eyes were filled with pain as he winced at the bright light; his sunglasses had fallen from his face when he moved. She stared at him, shocked by the terror she saw in his eyes before he covered it in his eyes before he covered it with a shadow of his normal cool look.

"Please, do not call anyone, Siha. It is...acceptable that you find me as such, but showing weakness to anyone else is…" Thane seemed to be at a loss for words so Shepard patted his hand, putting her hand behind his neck and laying him down again, he still clutched her wrist and she said, soothingly,

"Ok, Thane…it's ok. I won't tell anyone…shhhh, just rest. Let me get you a wet clothe for your eyes, ok?"

Thane nodded miserably and Shepard got him re-settled before she exited the room. She made her way to the med-bay and spoke to Chakwas, who was busily handing out hangover meds. "hey Doc…is the hangover med species specific?" Chakwas gazed at her,

"not as such, though it is protein specific. But if the, individual in question is Levo, this should work without issue. They shouldn't be alone or twenty minutes or so after taking it…"

Shepard nodded, "Ok…hit me up with some, will you?"

Just as Chakwas handed her the hangover meds, Kaiden walked in looking a little worse for wear and said, very softly "Doctor…do you have… Oh, Shepard…I didn't see you there…." Kaiden looked like hell, his eyes were puffy and he had dark circles beneath them; he was still wearing the outfit from last night, but the buttons were done up wrong. Grinning at him, Shepard said, in her normal voice

"Hey Kaiden…did you have fun at the party last night?" She saw Kaiden wince, at the sound of her voice, but he merely said,

"Yes, Commander…it was a great party…."

Shepard couldn't help but say, "That's great…I'm glad you enjoyed yourself" as she slapped him on the shoulder in what would have been, on any other day, a perfectly acceptable friendly move. Kaiden whimpered and closed his eyes going an interesting shade of green as Shepard grinned. However, Shepard's grin faded when she glanced at Chakwas and saw the frown on her face as she glared at her Commander. Clearing her throat, Shepard tried to keep her voice a little quieter as she said, "Try and get some rest, Kaiden…" before she fled the sick bay and headed back to Life Support.

"Thane?", Shepard called very softly as she entered Life Support and receive an equally quiet response,

"Here Siha…" Going in, she found him still sprawled across the bed where she'd left him. His arm over his eyes, legs resting on the cot in what couldn't have been a comfortable position. Walking over, she sat down beside him and said,

"here, I got you this from Med bay…doc says that all of them work on all Levo…it'll help the hangover and I didn't tell anyone who it was for. Thane groaned a she removed the lid and helped him sit up to swallow what must have been a vile potion because he moaned and rubbed at his mouth in an attempt to remove the taste. Carefully, still supporting Thane, she poured him a glass of water and held it while he drank. Letting Thane lean against her, she said, "Doc said to stay and watch you for 20 minutes or so, to make sure you don't a reaction. If you're sick to your stomach, I'll get a bucket or something…"

Shaking his head, which was resting against her chest, he said, "Drell cannot regurgitate, Siha; which is some small comfort. You needn't stay with me; I know you have a great deal to do with your crew."

Shepard shook her head, "You're part of my crew too Thane, and right now, you need me here. I'm not going to just leave when need me. Besides, doc would have my hide if I didn't stay…she said 20 minutes, so just lay back and relax, ok?"

Thane nodded, his eyes still closed as he said "Thank you, Siha, for your care and your…discretion."

Shepard suddenly realized that she was holding Thane and he was resting his head against her breast. She stood up, laid Thane back down on his pillow and set about making him comfortable. Adjusting his blanket, pillow, his vest, which she would have removed if she could have found the clasps. Just for the comfort of her crewman, of course. She did place a cool, damp clothes over is eyes, which made him sigh. After a few minutes of her fidgeting, Thane was feeling better and smiled as he said, still not opening his eyes, "Siha…please sit down. My pillows and blankets are fine, my boots are well positioned and my jacket is hung precisely right. You need to relax.

Shepard had the grace to grin, looking sorry as she said, "Sorry Thane…I'm must better when I have something to DO…"

Thane nodded then moaned, his hands going to his head, eyes still resolutely closed. "I am familiar with that need, Siha. Perhaps you should go…"

Shaking her head, Shepard said, "It's only been five minutes…just rest, I'll be quiet."

Quietly, Thane grasped her wrist and pulled her to the cot next to him, "Rest, Siha…"

Thinking her moving around might be making his headache worse, she sat next to him, leaning back against the wall and watching the rise and fall of his chest. Since the treatments, his breathing had deepened and become much more regular. Not able to resist, she reached out to touch his exposed chest, resting her hand on him over his heart. Thane smiled, as he drifted to a natural sleep, his headache was a dim ache now and he felt safe enough in the presence of the Siha to fall asleep. Half an hour later, Shepard had exited Life Support, continuing her rounds.

CHAPTER BREAK

Walking out of Miranda's office, Shepard had a strange experience. She walked past the mess hall and caught sight of Kasumi and Tali sitting close together, heads touching as they gazed at something on a data pad. Thinking that she could check in with both of them now, she headed over, a smile on her face. She was nearly up to the table, when Kasumi looked up, caught sight of her and nudged Tali, who made a strange sound and reached out to turn off the pad. Both women looked guilty and Tali stood up, stuttering that she needed to get back to the engine room. Frowning, Shepard watched her go, then turned back to Kasumi, but the lithe thief was already gone. Narrowing her eyes, Shepard wondered what was going on, but decided that she'd figure it eventually.

She was frowning again when she walked out of Zaeed's room. She'd buzzed him, as she usually did since she'd walked in on him during a private moment once before. Though he HAD asked her to stay and join, she had absolutely zero desire to live through that again. Besides, Garrus had nearly died laughing when she told him about it…until the part about inviting her to join, which made him glare at the floor as though he could see into the old Merc's room. Once she walked into the room, however, Zaeed and Jack were standing in front of the room's extranet terminal. Both were smirking, but it was Zaeed's move to close the window that had alerted her to something being wrong. Now, it was possible that Zaeed and Jack had simply been watching some kind of port…while she didn't want to think about it, it was possible. But added to the incident with Tali and Kasumi, and the expressions on several of the crew when she'd walked into the crew quarters, as they blanked their data pads and terminal screens; something was amiss. And Shepard was determined to figure out what it was. Grunt and Ken were the only normal ones in Engineering. Neither Tali nor Gabby seemed to want to talk to her; she worried for a moment that she'd somehow done something to piss off the entire female contingent of her crew, but for the life of her, she couldn't think of anything she'd done.

Finally, she went to the Main Battery to find Garrus.

"Garrus? Got a minute?"

"Need me for something, Shepard?"

"Just to talk…", but before she could continue, he turned around with a smile, then froze. His smiled faded as he leaned forward and sniffed her. Eyes wide, Shepard watched him as his eyes went from friendly to cold as ice, his mandible pulling tight against his jaw and his hands formed into fists. Glancing from side to side Shepard tried to figure out what was going on, when her mate said, his voice barely above a snarl,

"_**WHY**_ do you smell like the **DRELL**?"

Surprised out of her concern about the female crewmembers, Shepard started to tell him what had happened, but remembered Thane's reaction to her telling Chakwas about his condition. So she simply said, "I was helping Thane…"

"With your **BREASTS**?" Garrus was pissed. There was no other word for it, he was beyond furious and well into "kill the bastard" mode.

Already on edge, Shepard didn't need jealousy from her mate or his temper. Narrowing her eyes, she said, "Garrus…I was helping one of my crew members. That's all you need to know."

She knew the second she saw his face that she'd said the wrong thing. She hadn't thought his eyes could have gone colder, but they did. He drew himself up and said, "Fine, Commander. Can this discussion wait? I'm in the middle of some calibrations."

Shepard frowned, her own anger simmering just beneath the surface as she said, "Fine, Officer Vakarian…let me know when you get your head out of your ass." She turned and stalked from the room, and to the elevator snapping, "Edi, lock Thane's door and alert me when he wakes up. When he wakes up, tell him to stay in his quarters until I get there. And for god's sake, do NOT let Garrus hack the lock, do you understand?"

"Of course, commander. Anything else?"

She started to say no, then stopped, "Yes. You keep a copy of all the extranet sites that the crew view right?"

"Of course, Commander…"

"good, send a list of the most recently viewed sites, by crewmember as well as any site with multiple views by different people. Send the information to my quarters."

"Of course, Commander…logging you out"

CHAPTER BREAK

Shepard walked into her quarters muttering under her breath about stubborn jackass Turians and their jealousy issues and stupid female crew members making her confused. She carefully removed one of her new shipboard outfits and folded it over her office chair the stalked to the bathroom in just her bra and underwear. Tossing those off, she stepped into the shower and tried to relax, letting the hot water run over her body. Unfortunately, she found that the shower really wasn't helping, especially when she kept remembering the last shower she'd shared with Garrus. Growling, she stalked from the shower, and grabbed a towel. Hearing a noise, she entered the quarters and saw Garrus, sitting on the edge of their nest, arms crossed. He saw her and felt the familiar feeling of shifting plates as she stood naked and wet in front of him. But he was still pissed at her, so he crossed his arms over his chest and said "Trying to shower the proof off?"

Shepard's eyes widened, her fury momentarily replaced by absolute shock that he'd say that, and pain that he had. Then the fury came back full force and she said, "Nice, Vakarian…why don't you pull that stick out of your ass and shove a shot gun up there instead…then pull the trigger."

Garrus stood now, glaring at her, "I'm not the one with some other person's scent all over them"

"And I'm not the one making judgments without even thinking about the truth. Oh, that's right…you don't like _grey_ areas, right? So if I have the scent of one of my crewmembers on me, I must be fucking them…." Shepard felt tears form in her eyes from the fury, but blinked her eyes and moved to the closet to get clean underwear.

Garrus nearly stumbled backwards, that hurt…and was totally unexpected, but it also infuriated him more, "I never accused you of fucking anyone…guilty conscious?"

Refusing to look at him, she said, "Get out of here Garrus…just get away from me for a while…until we both calm down. Before either of us says anything else that will regret.

Garrus stalked to her, not touching her but his talons were balled into fists, hard enough that he was cutting himself. "Are you kicking me out of my own quarters?"

She resolutely kept her back to him, if she looked at him she'd cry. That had always been one of the things she hated about herself. When she was truly angry, she'd cry. It was a weakness she had no intention of showing Garrus. "No. I'm not kicking you out…I'm _asking_ for a little time for both of us to calm down. Please"

It was the please that did it. She could have ordered him, but part of their relationship was based on the idea that in their quarters, they were equals. Not Commander and subordinate, but mates…partners. Turning on his heel, he stormed out of the quarters. Just before he left he said, "You can unlock Krios door, Shepard…I have no intention of going in there." And he left, leaving her alone.

Taking a deep breath, Shepard moved to sit on the couch, putting her underwear down on the table. She swallowed hard, trying to gain control over her emotions. He didn't trust her. That was the basic issue that nothing else could cover. He trusted her enough to follow her into hell twice…but not enough to believe she was faithful to him. She buried her face in her hands; she loved Garrus, beyond any emotion she had ever felt before. He was her soul mate…her heart…and he didn't trust her. And that was the one thing that a relationship had to have to thrive. Slowly, she dressed, heading up to the office area to put her ship suit on. Her terminal chimed then and thinking it was the results of the search she'd asked Edi for, she turned to it. But it was an incoming message, from Garrus' mother. Ever since the treatments had started, Garrus mother was doing a lot better. And she'd taken to calling to talk to Lia every week. Today when the vid connected, she took one look at Lia and said "What has happened Filia?"

Lia tried to school her face into some semblance of normal and shook her head, "Nothing, Matera….I'm fine. How are you feeling?"

But Sabina Vakarian was not a fool, and she was a mother. She might not have birthed Lia Shepard, but she'd accepted her as daughter when she realized that Lia and Garrus were bondmated. She recognized the signs of hurt in her daughter and shook her head. "No, Filia…tell me what has you so upset?"

"nothing…", but even then, Lia knew she was fighting a losing battle. Sabina Vakarian was just like her son in many ways…curious, stubborn and tenacious. "Matera…please, this isn't something I can talk to you about…I don't want…" Shepard's voice broke, and she found she could barely breath, let alone talk. Sabina's sharp eyes caught it and she said,

"What has by son done to cause you so much misery, Filia…?"

But Lia shook her head, she refused to say anything negative about Garrus to Sabina. Shepard swallowed hard and said, "Matera…please…it's not Garrus…." Cocking her head to the side Sabina watched her daughter though eyes so much like her son's that Lia found herself nearly weeping. Sabina sighed,

"Do you think I do not know my son, Filia? He is hot headed, often speaks before he thinks and has a bad habit of saying exactly the worst thing he could say. But he loves you, Filia…he loves you very much…"

"But he doesn't trust me…" the words were out before she could stop them and Sabina's eyes narrowed,

"Filia…" but Lia held up a hand,

"Please, Matera….can we talk later? I have…some things I must take care of…"

Sabina sighed, she'd never thought she would find a person more stubborn than her husband or children. But he son's mate challenged that. During the last few weeks the two often spoke at length of things they enjoyed as well as things they had in common, such as Garrus. Sabina was even teaching her son's mate how to speak certain words in Turian, a feat considering the differing shape of their mouths. Sabina shook her head, she imagined that whatever was going on between her son and his mate, they'd have work out in their own time. She chuckled to herself when she remembered some of the fights over stupid things she and her mate had gotten into when they were newly mated. Male Turians tended to be somewhat territorial at times, which considering the Turian habit of inviting close friends into their bedrooms seemed odd. But no one said love was logical.

CHAPTER BREAK

Shepard worked on paperwork, scheduling, upgrades on the Normandy, information and assistance requests, correspondence about the Reapers. Different items that required attention, but nothing that required her to think too much. After two hours she had caught up on every single piece of paperwork in her in box, and contacted Miranda for more. Miranda was not amused at being interrupted, but she was too good an XO to refuse to send her Commander paperwork. That took another hour, and Miranda ignored her second request. Considering the time, Shepard couldn't blame her.

Shepard wanted to hide in her quarters, but found herself too key up. So she left, heading to the CIC, deciding that some mining of planets was nice, dull mindless work. As she entered the elevator, however, Edi said, "Commander, Mr. Krios is awake and requesting an explanation for his confinement."

Changing the button to the Crew quarters, she sighed, it was somewhat embarrassing to have to tell Thane she'd locked him in his room to make sure _her_ mate hadn't gone in and injured him in retaliation and jealousy. Shepard exited the elevator and headed to life support, glancing into the mess she saw Garrus standing at the counter with a plate of food. She hesitated, her eyes meeting his, but he turned and stalked to the Main Battery with his tray and she turned, not aware that her shoulders were sagging, and entered Life Support.

Joker, Jack, Zaeed and Samara were sitting in the Mess watching. Joker frowned, "What do you think that was about?"

Jack frowned as she looked from one door to the other, "Aint it obvious? Mommy and daddy are fighting…."

Joker choked and said, "I'll give you a hundred credits to _NEVER_ give me that mental image again…"

Joker turned with an evil smile and said, "You'd rather imagine them making up?"

Joker gagged and buried his head in his hands, but Zaeed and Samara were quiet, both considering the situation. Jack showed a surprisingly maturity by saying, "Shit happens…it aint easy being in love, add the different species thing…it's a bitch."

Zaeed snorted, "Thell work it out…an is there anythin better than makeup sex?"

Samara gazed at the Main Battery, then stood, "If you will excuse me…" and went toward the Main Battery. Jack whistled,

"She's got more balls than I do…aint no way I'd go in with Birdman right now…."

CHAPTER BREAK

Shepard entered the Life Support and called, softly, "Thane?"

"Yes Siha…I am here" Shepard walked to the back and found Thane sitting at the table in his usual spot, hand clasped and up near his face. As she entered the room, he turned and gazed at her, black eyes impassive as he watched her. She moved to sit down opposite him and saw the clothe she'd brought in sitting on the table, folded carefully. Sitting down, she reached for the cloth and began to fold and re-fold it.

"I'm sure you'd like to know why I locked you in your room, right?", her hands busy folding and unfolding the cloth, her eyes lowered. When she saw one of Thane's hands reach out and cover hers stopping her from folding the cloth. She raised wide eyes to him, startled and he said,

"Siha…be calm. Will you tell me why you are so upset?"

Sighing, Shepard said, "When I came in, you weren't feeling really good.." She glanced up at his face, seeing the enigmatic half smile as he nodded,

"I recall…"

"oh. Yea, eidetic memory…right… Anyway, you freaked out when I wanted to go get Chakwas to help you, because you didn't want anyone to see you…that way."

Thane shrugged, his throat fluttered as he said, "It is something that has always been thus…finding myself, incapacitated, would put me in danger. Though I know that I am safe on your ship my training and experienced precluded my being comfortable with my condition being known."

Shepard nodded, "Yeah, I get that…so when I left here after helping you, I went to the Main Battery and Garrus…he freaked out."

Thane sighed, "Oh, Siha…I expected it was something like that."

Shepard said, "I wasn't going to tell him anything about what you were going through, and he jumped to conclusions because he "smelled" you on me…"

Thane shook his head, "You should have told him what happened, Siha…all you did was assist me when I needed some assistance. There was nothing …untoward about the circumstances."

Shepard shook her head, "If you didn't want Chakwas to know, then you certainly wouldn't have wanted Garrus to know."

"Siha, if it would have prevented you and your mate from being at odds, I would have understood."

But Shepard shook her head, "No…if he doesn't…doesn't trust me…then…", her voice trailed off, and she looked down at her hands, trying to fight the tears that threatened. A sigh from across the table, and Thane said,

"Siha…I wish I knew what to say, but in this, I am unsure. While I understand your point, I can also see your mate's point. Perhaps it is less trust in you, as trust in me."

Shepard looked at Thane, and her eyes were infinetly sad, "Trust is trust, Thane…if he doesn't trust me, if he does this every time I touch another member of my crew…then…it just can't work"

Thane reached out, hesitantly, then covered his hands with his own, "Siha…would it help if he knew that there was nothing to be upset over?"

Shepard shook her head, "No…because if he trusted me, then it wouldn't matter….and if he doesn't trust me, no assurance would be necessary". She sighed and patted his hand, beginning to stand as she said, "Anyway…I had Edi lock your door because I knew you weren't in any shape to defend yourself and I didn't want Garrus doing something stupid. I hope you're feeling better…?"

"Drell have faster metabolisms than some species, Siha…I am well now. Though I thank you for your kindness, I am sorry that it caused you heartache."

Shepard shrugged, putting on her "Commander Shepard" face and said, "It's not your fault, Thane…if Garrus pulls anything, please let me know…I can't have discontent on my crew…."

Thane acknowledged her words, though he had no intention of reporting any actions by Garrus to her at any point. He had become a bone of contention between Siha and her mate and that was not his intention, nor did he wish to make it worse. Whatever feelings he might have toward Shepard, she had made her choice and he would never dream of interfering with that.


	27. Scene 23

_Author Notes: Beware….emo/depression/self pity ahead…_

**BEGIN**

"Officer Vakarian…may I have a word?"

Garrus looked up from the board where he was staring unseeing at the calibrations before him. Samara stood there, poised and confident, she waited patiently for him to say something. He considered telling her he was busy, but it was a rare thing for Samara to be out of her quarters at all, let alone visit him in his work area. So he turned, leaning against the board and said, "Of course, Samara…what can I do for you?"

"You are very young."

Garrus frowned, considering that the Justicar was easily a thousand years old that wasn't saying much. But she seemed to be waiting for an answer, so he tried to look calm and said, "I guess for you, most of us are."

Samara inclined her head, "Very true, but in some ways, I believe you are younger than most. Allow me to make an inquiry…"

Garrus nodded, trying to figure out if she'd insulted him or not.

"IF I were to tell you that Shepard had been injured and was fighting for her life in med bay, what would your reaction be?"

Garrus shot up straight, his eyes flashing horror, "She's ok, isn't she? Spirits, tell me she's ok, Samara…" He began to move past her to go check, but Samara stopped him, not an easy feat. She moved him, none to gently back to his station,

"she is well, Officer…but the question remains, though I believe it has been answered. Now ask yourself this question, "If she were dying…at this moment taking her final breath in this life…."

Garrus was tense, but he stared at her, terrified and furious that she'd put him in that position,

"…would it matter that she had been interacting with another member of her team who happened to be another male?

Garrus sank back against the station, triggering an alarm that Edi silently turned off and shut down the board. Samara's words sank right to his gizzard, and he suddenly realized how little importance what he'd smelled had been. Any numerous times he'd smelled other members of the team on her….her hands, her chest…and he'd never given it a thought. But one whiff of the Drell, and one that was contaminated by alcohol at that, and he'd not only freaked out, but turned on his mate. He buried his face in his hand, keening in distress as he said "Spirits…what did I do, Samara…."

Samara smiled, reached out to pat his shoulder, "You reacted inappropriately and showed little trust or faith in a woman to whom you have followed into hell…"

"twice"

"…twice. And for that, you should make sure she is aware that you are apologetic by giving her a heartfelt apology…"

Garrus keened again, burying his face in his palms deeper, moaning as he thought about the heat and anger in which they'd spoken to each other. Shepard had been wise, far beyond his own wisdom, in asking for space and time for them both to calm down.

Samara gazed at him, a tiny smile on her face as she said, "Garrus…the commander loves you, and I believe that you love her. However, a large portion of love is trusting in your mate. If you trust her, then **trust her**. If she is committed to you, as I believe she is, then no matter who indicates an interest, she will decline. YOU have to trust her to be true to you, if you do not, then why should she continue the relationship?"

Garrus groaned, "I **do** trust her, Samara…it's the Drell I don't trust."

Samara observed him silently, her head tilted to the side, before speaking softly, "Officer Vakarian…I will assure you of this; Thane Krios is an honorable man. And he will do nothing to undermine your relationship. Even if he bears feelings for the Commander, and to be honest, there are many of both genders who do so, he would never place her in a position of having to turn him down. If for no other reason than any feelings he does have toward her are stronger than his own feelings for himself."

Garrus sighed, "I've got a lot of ass kissing to do, don't I?"

Now Samara's smile was more pronounced, "yes, Officer Vakarian, I believe that you do. It will take a great deal of _ass kissing_ as you say to make up for the damage you've done to her heart. I have one other question for you, Officer?"

Garrus focused his attention on the Asari, and she said, "Is it not a Turian option to invite another person into the relationship, either permanently or temporarily?"

Uncomfortable, Garrus looked away and said, "Yes….and no. It's not…common anymore, but it's not exactly un-heard of either. Usually, a mated pair bring a person to their lives and that person becomes a _mo-ha-lay_, or errr…added benefit. Both mates have to agree and it's usually a person that both mates feel benefits the relationship. And it usually happens once the mating relationship is well established"

Samara frowned, "Then why would you react as you did?"

"I don't know", Garrus said miserably, " I didn't _think. _I just reacted…wrongly. And now she's in the Dr….Thane's quarters and I pushed here there."

"and do you think she is…betraying your relationship?"

"No…I know she's not. Even if wanted to…be with Thane that way…she'd talk to me first. She's not the kind of person who would betray me…or anyone, really."

"Then you have nothing to worry about, Garrus…and doing so will make it seem that you do not trust her. And if I know Commander Shepard, trust is the most important part of love."

Samara turned to leave and Garrus said, "Thank you, Samara…what you said…it helped. Maybe Lia is right and I need to get my head out of my ass."

As Samara turned and left the battery, she said quietly, but Garrus heard the humor, "Perhaps, Officer Vakarian, that might improve your relationships a great deal."

As the door closed behind her, Garrus slumped, saying, "Edi…turn my station back on, please"

"No, Officer Vakarian."

Looking surprised, Garrus did a double take and said, "No?"

"No. Your calibrations have been markedly off, and to allow you to continue working will put this ship in danger. Therefore, until you have "fixed" your personal relationships, I cannot allow you to continue calibrating the Normandy's weapon systems."

Staring in shock at the ceiling, Garrus said, "are you seriously telling me that you won't let me work until I apologize to Shepard?"

"No, I am stating that until you fix your personal relationships, or in some other manner fix your mental instability, I am not going to allow you to "work"

Grumbling, Garrus left the Main Battery and saw Lia leaving Life Support, he raised his chin at her, but she didn't change her path, entering the elevator, as he sighed. Groaning, he began to follow her, but was stopped by a gravelly voice. Thane's voice was quiet, but Garrus heard the anger just beneath the surface, "Officer Vakarian…I wish to speak to you." Garrus sighed, glancing at the elevator wistfully, but nodded,

"Yeah, I get it, Thane…you're probably right…"

He followed Thane into Life Support, aware of the watchful eyes of the crew.

Thane turned to Garrus and his fury was evident in his eyes, but Garrus spoke before the Drell could,

"I want you to know, Thane, that I was wrong. I was an ass and I intend to beg Lia's forgiveness as soon as she agrees to see me. I overreacted, I let my jealousy override not only my common sense, but my faith in my mate and I know I have a lot of ass kissing to do."

Thane watched him, an unreadable expression on his face as he said, "Yes, all that you said is true. Siha is an honest, honorable woman and you have insulted her gravely by your actions. You have also hurt her greatly, a point that offends me personally on her behalf."

Garrus watched him and a strange sensation came to him, he looked into Thane's unreadable dark eyes and said, slowly, "You love her, don't you?" He saw an emotion flash through Thane's eyes but it was gone before Garrus could decipher it.

Thane said, "My personal feelings for Siha are of no importance, Officer Vakarian. She loves you…she has chosen you to share her life and I do not believe you are as appreciative as you should be about that fact.

What happened…", but Garrus stopped him,

"It doesn't matter what happened…the fact is, I _know_ that she wouldn't do anything to betray our relationship. NO matter what did or didn't happen, I was wrong and I intend to fix that as soon as possible…"

Thane watched Garrus carefully, then nodded, "then go do so Officer Vakarian…do not allow time to fester wounds."

Garrus couldn't help but smile, "Sounds like experience talking…"

Thane gave a small smile, "I remember my first year with Irikra…some of the arguments we encountered were spectacular…but I found the longer I allowed her to stew, the more I had to do to garner her forgiveness."

Garrus smiled and turned to leave, but was stopped by Thane, who was simply _there_, behind him with a knife at his throat. Garrus hadn't heard him move and was shocked by how quickly this had gone from a conversation to a deadly showdown. But Garrus forced himself not to respond, to stand with his hands at his side, Thane's voice was cold as he said "If you hurt her, Vakarian, I will kill you. You will never see me coming, but my face will be the last thing you see a you leave this life, do we understand each other?"

Garrus nodded, and quietly added, "I understand, Thane…and if I hurt her, I won't fight you, because I'll deserve whatever comes"

CHAPTER BREAK

Garrus left the Life Support and headed to the elevator, but before he could enter, Edi said, "Officer Vakarian, you have an urgent communication in your station…" Garrus groaned, wanting to slam his head against something, but he changed direction and went to his quarters,

"who is the message from, Edi?"

"The message comes from Da'La, Officer Vakarian."

The cold rush of fear rushed up his spine and Garrus broke into a run. There could be only one reason he could think of that his family would message him; but the last he'd checked, his mother was responding favorable. Spirits, she was even calling and speaking with Lia every week. He entered his station, initiated the vid com and nearly collapsed as he saw his mother on the vid screen. Nearly sagging, he said,

"Mater…what is wrong?"

His mother cocked her head and said, "What did you do to upset your mate so badly, aelos?"

"Wha…what?", Garrus didn't know why he was so shocked, but he was. His mother shook her head and said

"Whatever you have done, you must apologize for, aelos. Filia refuses to admit that you have hurt her, indeed, she says nothing but positive things regarding you. But I am a woman and I can see when another woman is filled with pain over her mate's actions…. So again, I ask, aelos…what have you done to upset your mate so badly?"

Garrus sighed, "I reacted like an amlept…and I was on my way to grovel when I got your comm message."

Sabina nodded, "good…I knew I not raise an idiot. Go and apologize to your mate…beg if need be… Tell my filia that I will speak with her next week…." Garrus nodded, but his mother cut the connection before he could. Garrus spared a small smile, Lia had no idea who important and well-loved she was by so many. Leaving his work station, he strode to the elevator and entered, pushing the button to take him to the loft.

Shepard was pacing, she couldn't sit down, she was too restless. She'd tried a shower, she'd tried working on paperwork, she'd tried sleeping, even punched the wall until it cried uncle…nothing worked. She'd even given into her emotions and bawled a good half hour, but all that did was give her a stuffy nose and puffy eyes. Pacing wasn't doing anything either, so she sat down on the couch, she couldn't face their nest just yet. She drew her knees up to her chest, wrapped her arms around her legs and buried her face in her knees. She heard the door opened and considered that she should sit up, pretend she was fine, not show him how badly she was hurt, but in the end, it was just too much work to hide her feelings. And she hated the thought of hiding her feelings from her mate, even if he were the cause of them. Besides, he fist hurt, and she didn't feel like trying to hide it from her often too perceptive mate.

Garrus entered the quarters and found them dark, he wondered if maybe she'd gone to CIC instead of here. But as he walked further into the room, he heard her and followed the sound to the couch. She was sitting in the curve of the couch, her knees drawn to her chest, face buried in her knees. He recognized that stance, it was the one she took when she was hurting so badly she couldn't face the cause, and this position was as close to closing herself off as she ever could do. Sighing, he walked down the rest of the steps and moved to stand in front of her. He knelt for two reasons; one was she hated him to "hover" over her and two, he needed to be on his knees groveling anyway.

Lia gave no indication she knew he was there, other than a slight flinch when he'd lower himself to the floor. Hesitantly, he reached out, touching her knee gently, but was shocked and hurt when she jerked away, pulled back into the couch as far from him as she could get without moving. "amica…"

"Don't."

Garrus hesitated, "what?"

"don't call me that, Garrus. It's a lie…and I'm tired of hearing lies."

Garrus swallowed hard, but said, "It's not a lie, Lia. You are my beloved, no matter how big an ass I am, that doesn't change."

Lia shrugged, not responding other than to say, "we're mates…but you don't love me. Love involves trust, and you have none in me…"

Garrus rocked back on his heels, shocked as he said, "Lia…for Spirits sake, I've followed you into hell twice…and I'll do it again…"

Now she raised her head and her pain filled, tear swollen face went straight to his gizzard, he was nearly ill knowing that he'd put that expression on her face. "No, Garrus…I know you trust my leadership, that as a Commander, you believe in me and know what I'm saying is true. I'm not talking about that…personally, as your mate, you don't trust me."

Garrus sighed, "I do, amica…despite the way I've behaved today, I **do **trust you." Garrus sat back on his spurs, reaching up to pull his own fringe, he said, "Amica…I guess the heart of the matter is that I can't imagine why someone like you would want someone like me. Fact is, amica…I just don't think I deserve you. So when I notice something that I think proves that, I over react and act like an ass."

Lia still had her head up, which Garrus took as a positive, but she wasn't looking at him, but rather the stars outside the window above he bed."

"do you know the last thing that I thought of before my brain shut down and I burned up in the atmosphere?"

Garrus frowned, she rarely talked about that event…the event where she died. He shook his head and said, "No…what was it."

"you"

If she'd stripped off her skin and begun to dance around as a hanar, he couldn't have been more surprised. But she wasn't done yet. "I felt my oxygen leaving, knew that my brain was shutting down and I felt the heat in my feet from the decaying orbit and the thing on my mind was you. Not Kaiden, or Liara, or the galaxy…not my career or my life up to that point. But regret that I was going to die and I'd never told you how much I cared for you…that you were my best friend and that I loved you. The last face I saw before I lost consciousness was yours, smirking at me, standing beside the Mako with grease on your hands, sparring."

Garrus was not only speechless, but breathless. He felt as she must have, that there was not enough oxygen. Even back then she'd known had felt the same draw, the same feelings that he'd felt and tried to ignore, to push them down. He wondered, if only for an instance, if she'd survived, would she have come to him?

But she wasn't done, she continued, "As I breathed the last of my oxygen and felt hypoxia come in to claim me, I had two thoughts, one so very thankful that you hadn't been on the Normandy…and the most overpowering regret that I'd never see you again. I swore to myself that 'd find a way to stay with you….to make sure you were never alone…", a bitter laugh from her that he immediately wanted to drive away, "did a great job of that, didn't I?"

Garrus didn't know what to say what to do, so he did the only thing he could think of, he reached out to touch her face, hurt when she flinched away. "Amica…I'm so sorry…I've been the biggest ass in the galaxy and I don't deserve you to forgive me." She didn't look at him, but she spoke, her voice was so very tired,

"I forgive you, Garrus…that was never in question" Garrus watched her, there was something wrong, but he couldn't figure out what. She met his eyes and it was his turn to flinch at the expression, or lack of one in her eyes. She looked at him, saw the expressions fly across his face and said "please, Garrus…fuck me? Just for a moment, let me forget this…."

A surge of relief and happiness went through him and he grinned, standing up and reaching down, picking her up and carrying her to their nest, he nuzzled her throat and said, "You don't have to ask me, amica…I love you…being part of your body I worship you…"

He lay her on the nest, removing his clothes and going back to remove her, but they were already gone. Garrus grinned at her, "Somebody's excited.". he lack of an answering joke, banter or even a smile, but she was reaching for him, drawing him to her and he simply wrote it off as her needing to be reunited so badly. He kissed his way down her body, stopping at her mound, lapping and nuzzling at her until she gave a gasp and shuddered. He smiled, slid a talon into her body, she was wet and ready for him and he smiled, making his way back up her body to nuzzle he beasts. He nuzzled at her breasts as her hand tighter spasmodically in his fringe. He moaned, and moved up, but before he could enter her, she got up and turned adjusting the "perches" in their nest so she could lean on it, presenting her ass for him. He moaned, she rarely offered herself this way, it wasn't her favorite and it was harder for her to each completion. But she spoke, softly,  
>"Please…I'm ready for you, Garrus…." He hesitated, there was something…off…about her voice, but then she reached back between her legs to grasp his cock firmly and draw it into her, putting the head of his cock at her entrance. Moaning, Garrus thrust, shallowly, giving her time to adjust. He moaned, she was so tight. He reached around and began to stroke her, but she thrust backwards, then moved forward, nearly losing their connection. He gasped, his talons going for her hips. He smiled against her nape, as he leaned over to speak, "Someone r is anxious" She moved against him, and he groaned, letting her set the blistering, fast , hard pace. Several times he reached for her clit, but each time she distracted him, and he became lost in the feel of her body around him. For the first time since they'd been together, he wasn't sure if she'd reached her completion, but just as prepared to stop and ask her, she reached back her fingers dipping into the gap where his testicles were located and massaging them, the tips of her fingers brushing his cock. He moaned, and she turned her head, nuzzling his arm, before biting down hard on the crook of his elbow where his skin was thinner. The feel of her biting him drove him on, higher, faster, harder… then he bit her , being as careful as possible, but tasting her blood in her mouth. He roared as he thrust again, cumming deeply inside he, spurting his seed inside her. He collapsed on top of her, moving to the side at the last minute, bringing her with him as his cock swelled inside he. He panted, nuzzling her as he said, smiling, "We'll need to put medigel on your shoulder…" He felt her nod, but she said nothing.<p>

Garrus frowned, there was something wrong, she'd made no noise at all during their love making and now she say in his arms, but she was stiff. He raised up as much as he could and looked over her shoulder, trying to see her face, but it was turned from him, buried in her pillow. Slowly, he reached over and took he chin in his talons, turning he face toward him, and what he saw shocked him. Her face was still, but her eyes were filled with tears, and they were running over he cheeks. As he held her chin, the back of his hand moved against the pillow and he found it soaking wet. She'd been weeping silently the entire time he'd been making love to her. He tried to turn her head further, but she refused, staring directly at the wall of their nest, her eyes swimming in tears, but hallow and empty of any emotion. He thought about what she said, "fuck me", not make love to me, take me…but Fuck me. His gizzard clenched and he felt as his heart skipped a beat. He said, "Lia…talk to me, amica…what is going on here? Did you…didn't you cum at all?"

She tried to pull he chin from his hand, but he held fast, gentle but firm. Caught, she whispered, "Yes…"

"yes you came? How many times.."

She hesitated, then whispered, "once…at the beginning…" Closing his eyes the pain in his heart nearly incapacitating him, but he whispered,

"Why amica? Why did you do this?"

She shrugged, eyes cast to the right, "You wanted me…"

Garrus frowned, "Yea, I wanted, I want you…but not just to fuck you. I…I want to make love to you, to feel you come apart around me…not just lay there and take my seed…."

She hesitated, then whispered, "I wanted you…I thought…I thought I'd be able to forget and just feel…but I..I…I failed at that too. All I could think about was that this might be the last time I felt you inside me…touching me…that…", but she couldn't go on the tears running down her cheeks and pooling in her hair.

Garrus began to keen out loud, his sub-harmonics keening in pain, terrified, horrified at the thought, at the pain in his mate; if he could have wept, he would have. But all he could do was keen, aloud and with sub-harmonics, and clutched her to him. "Please, Lia…please….Spirits Lia…I can't do this without you….I'm…I'm not there without you…please….Lia…what are you saying…?"

Lia shook her head, her own tears falling freely now, she whispered, her throat scratchy from the tears, "If you don't trust me, Garrus…then we can't….then there isn't a way…."

"NO!" Garrus hadn't meant to shout, and his body chose that moment to release her and she began to move away, but Garrus turned her until she was on her back his weight holding her there as he said trying to keep his voice calmer, "Lia…please. I **do** trust you… I screwed up, I can't explain it, I can't…I can't even ask forgiveness because what I did was inexcusable. But it had **NOTHING** to do with trusting you…. It wasn't about thinking you were going to do anything with Thane…"

Her tortured eyes met his and she whispered, tears still pouring from her eyes, "Then what was it, Garrus? Because from where I'm standing, you thought I was doing something with Thane…."

"NO, I swear to the Spirits, no…when you brought that up I was shocked because that had nothing to do with it. It was…it was a possessive feeling…It was like…like…you're MINE, Lia…my mate, my love. I'm not sure how in the Spirits I was able to get you to love me…but you do and you're my mate. What if…what if someone else is around you and you realize that I'm not…not worth it…."

Lia raised her hand, touching his face with trembling fingers, "So it was about possessing me? I'm not a piece of property, Garrus", but there was no heat in that just a statement and Garrus growled, not knowing how to say it right.

"Not possessing you, Lia…This is the first thing that has gone right for me in years…what if you're around another person and you realize that you're wrong about me. That I'm really NOT worth it?"

Suddenly, Lia thought she got it, and for the life of he, she wasn't sure if it was better for him to simply think she might betray him…or doubt her love.

"Oh Garrus…you **are** worth it…you're worth every challenge, every moment, every argument, every tear. You don't have to doubt my dedication to you…but you don't have to doubt my love of you either. There _IS_ no one else for me but you, no matter how many times I'm with other people, my love for you isn't going to change or go away. I love you. I love you, I'll always love you."

Garrus keened, his voice flanging even more than usual, the pain evident even through the translator, "Then don't leave me, Lia…don't send me from you…and for Spirits sake, don't shut off from me. I need you, not just physically, but in every way. I can't do this without you, amica…I don't want to. I buried you once, and it killed me…I just didn't know enough to lay down. Spirits, if I've killed your love for me…if I'm compromised our relationship I don't know what I'll do…."

Lia began to weep now, not just tears falling from her eyes, but actually sobbing as she cuddled into Garrus' body. "Nothing could kill my love for you, Garrus…NOTHING. I love you…I want to be with you, I want to share everything with you…I'm just so afraid…."

"Afraid of what, amica?"

Shepard hesitated, "I'm afraid that you'll find out that I'm not who everyone thinks I am…that you'll find out…I'm not worth it…."

Garrus clutched he to him, "Not what we think you are?"  
>"I'm not a hero, Garrus… I'm just a soldier doing her job. All this "save the galaxy" crap is just PR. I'm not even that special…"<p>

Garrus huffed a sad little chuckled, "Lia, I've followed you to hell twice now, and I'm getting ready to do it again. You're doing your job, yes…but you are a hero. And more than that, you're a good person…a strong person…you're life itself. You may not feel it, but others do. And I want you to listen to me.." Garrus paused to make sure she was looking at him, "YOU ARE WORTH IT. You are worth anything…just for the chance to stand next to you, to love you.

Shepard shook her head, "No, Garrus…"

But Garrus interrupted her again, this time his sub-harmonics had anger in it, he shook her a little and aid "No…you can tell me what you thin, what you feel….but you don't have the right, or the ability to tell me what I know is true . You are worth it, Lia. You are worth everything to me…"

"I've done some horrible things…"

"yeah, I know. And so have I. But you know what, amica?"

"What?"

"Those things might have helped shape who you are…but they don't define you. You are you, the woman I love, the woman I want with me forever. The Galaxy is better with you in it…."

Lia shoved him, and he gave to her, she sat up so they sat, her legs slipped around his waist, raising her hands to cup his face, thumbs caressing his mandible. "If that's true, then believe this, Garrus Vakarian…there is NO ONE other than you that I want. I'm not going to change my mind, Garrus. No matter what happens, you're it for me. I love you. I don't say that to many people, but I am saying it to you. I love you. You're my mate. I don't want any other. I can be alone with hundreds of people, I can be close to them, whatever…but it's still you that I choose."

Garrus sighed, holding her close to him and said, "Spirits, amica…we're a pair, aren't we?"

Lia laughed, watery and sniffly as it was, it was a laugh as she said, "Yeah…maybe we deserve each other, Garrus…what do you think?"

Garrus' sub-harmonics were less sorrowful, more hopeful, but still with some sadness. He clutched her to him and said "Yah, amica….we do. Please…don't let's do this again?"

Sighing, Lia snuggled closer to him, "I can't promise we won't fight, Garrus…but how about this…we'll always give ourselves enough time to make up? Neither of us leaves, kicks the other out, or ends anything until we've talked about everything?"

Garrus nodded, holding his mate close, "I think we can do that, amica…."

Together, they lay down, wrapped in each other's arms reveling in the feeling of being together. Both knew that they might need to talk more, change thing, that this wasn't totally behind them. But they had each other. For now that was enough.

CHAPTER BREAK

"TOLD you they'd make up!", Jack threw a used napkin at Joker as they sat in the mess. Garrus shook his head, leaning against the counter as the two argued. Zaeed stood near him, shaking his head. Joker glared at Jack, I knew they'd make up too Jack….."

They were interrupted before they could continue the argument, by Shepard's shout, "WHAT IN THE BLEEDING, BLOODY HELL is that?"

Shepard stalked out of the crew quarters, followed by Tali, Kasumi, Kelly and Gabby. Gabby shook her head, sounding breathless as she said, "Commander…it's just an article!"

Kelly nodded vehemently, "Exactly, Commander….it's just an article….you can't…."

Lia turned to glare at the two crew members, then back to Tali and Kasumi "Did you two know about this?" Tali and Kasumi looked nervous and Shepard shook her head, "Who else knows?"

Jack smirked, "Bout everyone, Shepard….the whole ship's read it…funny thing, the "How to please your human" is even more popular! It uses an image of you to point out human erogenous zones….."

Shepard groaned and buried her face in her arm as it rest on the upper cabinets. "I can't believe they wrote this bunk! No telling what the hell they're going to write next….this crap is NOT a positive thing…"

Garrus caught her eye and said, "What is it, Shepard?" Shepard stalked over and plucked the data pad out of Kelly's hand and handed it to Garrus. Smirking, he began to read, but the smirk didn't last long. As he read the article, shock set in…

"What in Spirits name! "Hip dips"? Where the hell did they get their information!"

Lia turned to stare at Garrus in shock, "That article is outrageous and all you can find to complain about is their reference to _hip dips_?

Still nervous and reeling from their recent argument, Garrus hesitated, "I know you hate to be written about, Shepard…but you can't really stop them from talking…." Garrus eyes had gotten to the end and he snapped, "These people are MORONS…."

Shaking her head, Shepard stalked to the elevator, "Edi…all copies of this article and any other entry from that reported, or that tabloid is to be removed from this ship…and no further instances are allowed, do I make myself clear?"

"Yes Commander…however, Ms. Chambers has a subscription to this tabloid, what shall I do?"

All eyes flew to Kelly, who turned brilliant read and tried to find a way to stammer out a statement that she only read the articles on psychological items. Gabby stared at her and said, "Kelly, you said you found it in an extranet search! You said you didn't read this rag!"

Kelly stomped her foot and snapped, "Fine…whatever….if you're going to blame this on me…I'm going to my bunk…."

Shepard shook her head, like they needed any more drama. She said, "Edi, have Ms. Chambers copy sent to her external address; _OFF MY SHIP_. If I find ONE single copy of this rag on my ship, I'll space the bastards reading it. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes Commander, I'll make sure that it's done."

Shepard took in the others in the room and said, "I'm going to my quarters…barring a Reaper attack, I'm not to be disturbed, got it?"

"OF course, Commander…logging you out." Shepard entered the elevator and as the doors closed, Jack laughed. "I figured she'd be squicked out by that article….too bad she won't read the human versions." And she held her hand out to Zaeed, who slapped a credit chip in it, grinning. Jack got up and made herself a sandwich as talk turned to other things. Joker laughed and joked with Zaeed and Kasumi as Tali spoke softly to Samara.

Garrus set the data pad aside, his mandibles tight to his face in embarrassment. Their "Turian Erogenous zones" were, for the most part, incredibly wrong. He could see why Lia was upset about it, though he suspected her reaction was a bit over the top. Shaking his head, he prepared to dismiss the entire thing. But he was too late, Jack had noticed him reading the thing. Jack grinned and said, loudly,

"Hey, Birdman…how much of that list is right?" Very uncomfortable, Garrus tried to keep his voice neutral, trying to avoid giving Jack any more ammunition.

"not much…"

Joker, looking like he'd rather go skydiving naked with a Krogen than ask, but his curiosity wouldn't let him alone…."Soooo…10%? 20%?"

Sighing, Garrus was tired and uncomfortable, but still trying very hard not to make things worse, said "Less…only two of them…"

Jack smirked, "I'll bet it's that outer hump thing…."

Garrus' mandible were so tight against his face he was surprised he could still speak. He wanted to escape, but until he finished the report, he couldn't . So he muttered, irritated, "Turians have a cowl, not a "hump"…."

Jack laughed, and so did Zaeed, Tali, Gabby and Joker, even Samara chuckled.

Joker, seeing how uncomfortable Garrus was, decided it was too good to pass up, even if it embarrassed him a bit, "Naw…it's probably that "pectoral ridge thing…..at least we know it's not the Fringe and under fringe thing….shit, can you imagine your HAIR being sexy? Besides, Shepard is always going around touchin Garrus' fringy thing…"

Garrus found his report very interesting, and there was total silence. Then Joker said, "Oh my GOD…you mean it IS the Fringe and under fringe that's….that's….you mean all those times….", the Pilot gagged, and pled, "someone get me eye bleach! Oh my god…that's….."

Jack was laughing her ass off, "So all those times Shep was petting your head she was actually getting all hot and heavy? In the comm room, here in the mess…."

Joker pushed away from the table in horror, glancing at Garrus, who refused to look up. Jack was nearly rolling on the floor and Garrus finally snapped,

"That's enough…get yourself together….."

Jack and Joker exchanged a look and despite Joker's previous actions, he joined Jack in saying, "Yes Daddy…."

"Ok, if I'm Daddy, then you two better shape up or I'm going to take both of you over my knee…" Garrus really thought he'd have the last word with that, and he smirked.

But Jack, being Jack, couldn't allow that to happen. Smirking at him, she said "oooohhhh….kinky! You gonna do it to Shepard too? She gonna pull your fringe while you're spankin her?"

The majority of the words coming out of Garrus mouth, the translators didn't even try to translate…the ones it did were such obviously improbably suggestions that Jack and Joker both made faces and looked at each other. When Garrus finally began to wear down, breathing hard, Jack said, softly

"wow…you kiss Shepard with that mouth? Did you know when you cuss like that, your fringy thing goes flatter?"

Garrus turned, walked to the elevator and pushed the button. Head down, shoulders bunched, he rode the elevator up to his quarters. He walked into the quarters and Shepard came out of the bathroom, toothbrush in hand. She began to speak, but stopped when she saw his expression. He headed to the Nest, made a detour to the shelves they held the liquor and grabbed strongest one he could find, and headed to the nest. He stripped, crawled into the nest and a second later, the cork from the bottle made a pretty little arch out of the bed and onto the floor and the sound of guzzling could be heard.

Shepard put her toothbrush down, walked to the Nest and looked down at Garrus, who was raising the bottle for another gulp. Carefully she said, "Didn't go well after I left?"

The only answer she got was the gripping of her wrist by his talons and the tug that pulled her into the Nest, where Garrus wrapped himself around her and continued to drink. Feeling a bit like a teddy bear, Lia shrugged, "Edi, don't bother me unless the ships on fire, all right?"

"Of course, Shepard…though Jack and Joker have asked me to check on the condition of Officer Vakarian…"

Shepard glanced at Garrus, who had already drained a good ¼ of the bottle and seemed nowhere close to stopping. She said, "Tell them Garrus is in good spirits…."

"As you wish…logging you out Commander."


	28. Scene 24

_**Author Note: This is the final scene before she is taken to Earth…from this point forward, it's going to be lots of changes. I was thinking of changing to a new story, but I think I'll just continue this one….. Thank you to everyone who leaves feedback or favorite this story (and my others!), it really does make me want to keep writing!**_

**BEGIN**

"Ok…stop. Everyone."

Despite her low volume, there was a strength and power in her voice that stopped the talk and arguing. All eyes turned to Shepard, and she continued, "Look…this is not the way I wish it would go…and I understand that there are options, and I have considered all of them. But this is the only true course of action." She held up her hand, stilling the flow of words that had begun, "And like it or not…we have to deal with it as it is. I chose to perform a duty that killed over 300,000 Batarians. And they deserve the chance to face their loss and the person who caused it. I know that I went in under orders, but the final decision wasn't covered by my orders and was mine and mine alone and I _will_ stand up for my decision. That decision is made and not negotiable. So let's move on to things that can be decided or changed."

There were many mutters, and to her surprise, it was Kelly Chambers who stood up and said. "But you are a hero…you saved all our lives and this feels like they're ignoring everything good you've done and just focusing on the negative. " Kelly faltered, tears sliding down her cheeks and said, "I'm sorry for those Batarians who died and their families….I really am. But the universe needs you…it's not just wanting you, they need you to lead them." There were a lot of nods and agreements and Shepard sighed,.

"Thank you, Ms. Chambers, and in some ways I agree. But we need Earth and the Batarians, and this is the only way to get them. I don't think they'll put me in prison, but they will hold me incommunicado until they figure out the facts and make a decision. Now look…just because I'm going to be on Earth, and out of contact, does NOT mean that any of you are off the hook.

Look people…you're all well trained, professionals. You've all got contacts, connections, and I need you to use every single one of them to get people to understand what we're facing. And it won't be easy, it won't be without problems. Some of you will face people who just don't want to see the truth, and they may even get nasty. You may face incarceration yourself. IF you're not ready, willing and able, fine. Just get ready to do what has to be done to protect everyone we love from death. Because do not doubt this…if the Reapers come, we will die; all of us. They'll wipe us out and nobody will make it through, nobody will survive, there won't be any saving them, their children, their family….."

She had their rapt attention now, and her eyes moved from one to the other, knowing what she was asking from them; knowing the position she was putting them in, but she went on, "Every planet, every colony, every unit, fleet, person is vital to this fight. And that is what I'm asking from each and every one of you.

You are part of the team who took out a Collector base. You went through the Omega Four relay and came back…alive if not untouched. You are heroes, every single one of you are heroes and that is what I need here. I _NEED_ heroes…I need people like you to spread the word, to share the threat and challenge people _will_ be facing, inspire them to get prepared. Gather armies, collections of people, fighters, support staff…everyone who you can find, everyone who can help, who are willing to help."

Shepard saw the doubt, but also the pride in many of her crew and went on, smiling a little, "If you can't do it, there will be no reprisals. If what you can do is prepare just your own family, that's fine, because every single person matters. If you can make one person believe, then you've done something very important. Especially since I can't be there to help; but I want to remind you that your crewmembers are going to be there for you. IF you need something, some help or support or even just to vent, your crewmates will be there; even when I can't."

Sighing, she looked at Garrus who had a forced calm expression on his face, and she knew that while he hated the thought of losing her, even for a short period of time, worse on him. But he understood, he didn't like it, but he understood. He still thought taking the Normandy and her crew to some tropical planet and just hiding out was a perfect thought. But the tactician in him, the logical part of him, the _**Turian**_ part of him recognized that what she was saying was really the only course of action if they wanted to defeat the Reapers.

Shepard was done, but she closed it speech by saying, "I know that I can count on you to back me up…but I can I count on you to put this on your short list of "MUST TO DO?"

There was a rousing cheer, led by Zaeed and Jack and shortly thereafter, the meeting broke up. The crew was obviously more focused and determined, moved by Shepard's pep talk. Shepard made her rounds, talking with every single member of her crew, while Garrus sat, waiting. When she was done, she headed toward the elevator and he fell into step with her and said, softly, "Great motivational speech, Shepard…I know that not everyone will succeed, but I think they'll at least try."

Shepard stared straight ahead, and her lack of emotion communicated a great deal to Garrus. He guided her gently to the elevator and they rode to her quarters. Exiting the elevator, she walked into the quarters, back straight and Garrus knew she was keeping her control only due to her iron will and pure stubbornness. She looked at the Varren who was laying on the couch, and he looked overjoyed, wagging his entire body. Stopping to stroke the Varren, Shepard said softly, her voice still nearly expressionless, "Urz…go make your rounds…then stay with Zaeed…." Looking a little confused, Urz mare one of his "yipyipyip" sounds and headed out of the quarters. Garrus watched his mate, the tenseness of her shoulders, the forced calm told him that inside her she was a hair's breadth from falling into pieces. Garrus felt a moment of fear, she held herself so tight, but he saw her eyes, frosted with tears she refused to shed. A thin trickle of blood came from her mouth and he realized she was biting her lip so hard she was making it bleed. If it had been anyone else, any other living being at all, he'd have said she was on the verge of a mental breakdown. But the was Commander Shepard and she didn't allow herself that possibility. Garrus stepped forward placing his hands on her shoulders, giving her a little shake that made her too bright, liquid eyes flash up to his. Gazing down at her, letting the love and adoration he felt for his tiny human made shine in his eyes and sound in his sub-harmonics, he purred and said, "Amica…it's ok now. Let go…I'm here, I've you….". And he watched as his mate, the most powerful person he'd ever met, dissolved in front of his eyes. She fell to pieces and nearly collapsed into his embrace, trusting him as always to catch her, protect her from anything sneaking up on her. He held her as she began to weep, brokenly, her sobs shook her entire body and all Garrus could do was make good on his promise, he had her, and he was never letting go.

She cried for the better part of two hours, until Garrus was worried she had suffered some kind of breakdown. During the time, he held her, picking her up and moving them to the bed, laying there, where they'd spent so many hours sharing their bodies, their souls, their very beings, and now he lay there holding her and simply giving her the support only her true mate could. Not judging, not expecting, just holding and loving and be damned anything that came at them from any direction. Though he knew he couldn't protect her from something's, this stupid trial for one, he would do what he could.

After she was finally spent, she lay in his arms, quivering and not with pleasure. Garrus thought to get her a drink, but the moment he began to move, she reacted so strongly, clutching him so tight it was nearly painful and wrapping her body around him as though she wanted to crawl inside him. He soothed her, purring as loud as he could, whispering, 'shhhhh, Shepard…it's ok, I've got you. I was going to get your drink, that's it…not leave the room…" In the end, he simply stood up, her body still wrapped around him and got the drink that way. After another hour or so, she'd actually begun to relax, her fingers tracing patterns on his plates, her words, when she spoke were so soft he almost didn't hear her, "I got your civvies wet."

Garrus chuckled, having divested himself and her of clothing and now they lay entwined, naked, but not in a sexual way. This was about comfort, and her being able to touch his skin, and if he was honest, being able to touch hers. This was mates, Bondmates no less, preparing to be separated for an undisclosed period of time and needing that skin to skin contact. "I love you Garrus…."

Clutching her a bit harder to his chest, he said, "I love you too, Lia…and we _**will**_ get through this…I know we will."

Trying for humor she didn't feel, she said, "Bit of a change from the last time we had this conversation, honey…" Garrus chuckled, rubbing his cheek against her, needing to mark her with his scent, then said,

"Yea…but that was mostly insecurity…I'm a lot more secure in us now…I know that you're my mate and all that entails, you understand, accept and feel….'

"I am, Garrus…this next however ever long is going to be the hardest of my life, worse than Collectors, or destroying relays or facing reapers…I don't know… God, Garrus….now _**I'M**_ feeling insecure…"

Arching his neck, surprised to look into her eyes, he said, "Why would you be insecure?"

Lia tried to hide her face, whispering, "It doesn't make sense, Garrus… I know that. I trust you, I love you…I…I know you'll be on Palavan…and I know that no matter how tough I am, I can't beat a Turian female…."

That was too much for Garrus, he moved his upper body back a little, cupped her chin and raised her head so she had to look at him. "Lia, amica…no other female of any race can hold a candle to you. You can do EVERYTHING a female Turian can do, and so much more that I can't even BEGIN to list it. You're my mate. My home, my future and my past, my present, my life; you're everything to me, amica and there is no one, not person or species or gender or anything that you need to worry about…"

She glanced away and he knew there was another question, so he patiently waited, "But…Turian's have to work off their…stress. I've read the literature…if a Turian doesn't take the edge off in a stressful situation, they can become physically ill…." She took a deep breath and said, her voice telling him that these words were literally hurting her to say, "if you need to…blow off steam….I want you too", her voice broke, and tears once more fell from her eyes, across her cheeks, already red, chapped from her previous weeping, "I'd rather you found someone to blow off steam with than get sick…even if it means you're…" but she couldn't finish the sentence. He had to give her credit, there was no way in hell he could suggested that she _blow off steam_ with anyone but him. He growled at the thought and said,

"Amica…there will be NO one _blowing off steam _with me….except you. I'll just have to save it all up until we're together again."

"But what if…"

Garrus silenced her with a deep, passionate kiss, then said, "It works differently with Bondmates, Lia. Yes, I will get frustrated. Yes, I'll SPAR, with other Turian's…but it until we are back together. No one even remotely holds any interest for me, Lia…except you.

There was silence for a long period of time, then Lia spoke, her voice still barely above the a whisper, "I listed you as my next of kin on my paperwork, Garrus…I should have talked to you first, I know…but I want everyone to know that I'm yours…"

Garrus swallowed a lump in his throat as big as a boulder and aid, "There's no need to talk to me first, amica…I'm honored and so happy that you did that. One question, what did you list our relationship as?"

Shepard blushed, then looked into his eyes and said "There was no option for _**mate**_**, **so I listed you as _**husband. **_I know that we're not ACTUALLY married…but it's the closet I could come."  
>Garrus swallowed again and said, "That's fine, amica…thank you. As to really married, do humans have to go through the rituals?" Shepard shook her head,<p>

"Not the huge one, no. The simplest one is just a marriage license and a visit to a justice of the peace to exchange vows."

"Turian's have a similar "no fuss" mating…they go before a priest and perform a small ceremony…and they're mated. Bondmates need no ceremony, the saying it is enough. But most do have at least the simplest one"

Lia sighed, "I wish….", but she cut that thought off. Selfish whining wasn't going to help, and it might even make Garrus upset. She burrowed into his chest, content for now to cuddle against her mate and let the world slip away for a few minutes.

Eventually, she fell asleep, and Garrus slipped from the best, ignoring as best he could the mew of disappointment that came from his mate, but she moved onto his side of the nest and snuggled down and he smiled. He couldn't help it, he used his Omni Tool to take a picture of his mate being cute. Sighing, he moved to Lia's terminal; she always allowed him unfettered access to her terminal, despite the fact that the security clearance was way higher than his. Calmly, checking on his mate, he set up a communication with Liara.

The familiar blue features appeared and said, warmly, "Garrus! What do I owe this pleasure?"

Garrus smiled at her, but it was preoccupied as he said, "I need your help, Liara…"

Catching on to the seriousness of the situation, she said, "Of course, Garrus…what do you need"

Garrus sent her their current coordinates and the path from here to the Citadel and said,  
>"I need a planet between where we are now and the Citadel with both a "justice of the peace" and a <em>Clopro"<em>

Startled, Liara said, "Oh…", but then a brilliant smile appeared on her face and she said, "I think that's **WONDERFUL** Garrus! I know that you and Shepard are in love and close…but making it official like this is…so romantic…."

Garrus smiled at her, only a little embarrassed, "Especially now, we need to do this. I'm more than willing to pay you the going rate…"

But Liara cut him off with a wave of her hand, "Consider this my wedding presence to you and Shepard…I'm sending the coordinates to you now. This planet has both officials…and has become rather popular with, err, cross species groups. They are even packages that include both ceremonies in one. Shall I book you that?"  
>Garrus felt a lump in his throat, he'd always expected their friends to be shocked or horrified, "What was Shepard doing with that <em><strong>THING<strong>_…oh, Vakarian is a good friend, and a great sniper, but she can do so much better." For their friends to simply accept it and be thrilled for them always took his breath. "Thanks, Liara…I appreciate it. I'll let Joker know the new coordinates…"

Liara grinned at him, "Already done…you can be there tomorrow about noon. But it's up to you to get Shepard down to the planet."

Garrus smiled, giving her a brief, "Thanks…don't worry, she'll follow me anywhere… Talk to you soon…" and after a few more exchanges, he closed the link. Next he contacted Tali and said, "Tali…I need you to get the core team together…tonight, after chow when Shepard is doing her mining."

Tali sounded surprised, and he could hear Kal Reeger ask what was going on, and Tali shushed him. "What do you need, Garrus?"

"I'll explain everything then, Tali…but I swear, it's a good thing….'

His work accomplished, plan in motion, he returns to the nest he shares with his mate and sighs, she's on her back now, arms akimbo, frowning slightly as she squirms. Garrus smiled, _this_ he recognized. Smirking, he rejoined his mate in their nest and began to stroke her, gently. She arched against him, mewing softly. Garrus smiled, there were times, he's wake up to find his mate with her legs wrapped around one of his, rubbing her mound against him, moaning, seeking release. At first, he'd thought it was a sign that he wasn't pleasing her enough, but after talking to her, he realized it was just a dream she was having, no connection to their sex life. Apparently, humans dreamed every night, and in many cases those dreams released pleasure hormones. And eventually he'd begun to look forward to these times, even if she was sleeping, he could bring her a great deal of pleasure.

Garrus slid his talons down her body…and into her wet, clutching heat. She was more than ready, and he felt his plates shift in anticipation. He lowered his head and ran his tongue over her nipple, nipping gently and felt her arch into him, whispering his name in her sleep. Sliding down he kissed her nether lips, then began to use his tongue on her, working her toward her release slowly, but firmly. Whimpering she writhed and moaned, then met her climax and arched toward him, crying his name. He felt her relax, and when he looked up her body he found himself looking into her eyes, pleasure misted and sleepy, but alert. He grinned at her and said, "You needed release amica…and you know I love it when you make those noises."

Lia sat up with great force of will, the climax she'd had made her lethargic and sleepy, but she was determined to return the favor. Gazing at him, her eyes traveled down to where his cock was hard and obvious. Grinning, she said, "looks like **you** need a little release now, Garrus…." And proceeded to put word to action, using her mouth, hand and body to drive him totally insane. Afterward, they slept again, relaxed and lethargic from their releases.

Lia Shepard sat in the mess, looking at Garrus and Tali, sitting across from her and talking about something, not work, because they were both smiling and joking. Shaking her head, she saw Garrus stand up, walk around the table and sit back down next to her. She gave him an odd look and said, "Garrus?"

Garrus shrugged, giving her a Turian grin, "I missed you…you going to be mining after dinner"

Shepard nodded, "Yeah…we're still a bit short to get the ship back to normal. And since she's NOT going into Alliance care. That reminds me, Garrus…I need your help tonight after I get done…we need to figure out what to do about the Normandy while I'm gone…"

"Garrus nodded, then said, "I have a favor to ask, amica…"

Looking at Garrus, she said, slowly, "Ok…what's up, honey?"

"There's this planet…it's on our way to the Citadel and we could be there by tomorrow noon….I was hoping that you'd let us dock there overnight…"

Sensing there was more to it, Shepard sighed, but she didn't pry. Her new life plan was "delegate and you don't have to know everything". So far, she wasn't sure how that was working for her. Shepard nodded at Garrus' slightly nervous face, noticing that he was also anxious and excited. "Sure…we've got a bit of time. Is it a good planet that we'll be able to enjoy shore leave…or will we need to suit up and bring guns?"

Garrus shook his head… "No, it's safe…maybe…err…maybe you could read a dress and we could go out to dinner…or something?"

Shepard cocked her head, her BS meter going off the scale, but seeing the look on her mate's face, she shrugged, stepped forward and despite their current location, and the watchful eyes of her crew, she stood on her toes and pulled his head to hers, pressing their forehead's together. Her eyes closed as she just enjoyed the closeness and connection. Whispering, knowing that he'd hear, and the majority of the crew wouldn't, she said, taking a deep breath, "_ka'herta jafcleet laspah amica"_

For a long moment, Garrus was absolutely still and silent, and Shepard began to fear she'd said it wrong, or that he didn't want her to say it… Preparing to step away with a joke, to downplay her action, she kept her gaze down at the floor, biting her lip. The rest of the mess carried on, business as usual, unaware of the situation between their Commander and her mate. She stammered a bit, "Sorry…I probably mutilated that…and it was out of place, I'm su…."

But Garrus interrupted her, grabbing her, bending her over backward and kissing her, and that got the crews attention. There was a loud explosion of laughter, cat calls and demands that they "get a room". Garrus broke the kiss and glanced around, remembering where they were, his mandibles held close in embarrassment as he gazed down at his mate, who seemed in a trance. Carefully, ignoring the crew, Garrus dragged her to the elevator and pushed the button to their quarters. The cat calls continued, along with several off color remarks, until Jack slammed a plate down on the table and stood up, glaring at the crew, "The next mother fucked that says a fucking word get a fuckin beat down…you fuckers are jealous, but the Commander saved all our asses out there, in case you forgot and if she can find something special in the middle of all this death, then you're all going to fucking support her…or I'll make fuckin sure you can't even support your own weight…..we fuckin straight?" The crew fell silent, not knowing what to say as Jack strode out of the room.

Shepard gazed up at Garrus, he'd never acted like that before; never in front of the crew without even a hesitation. Once the elevator doors opened, he took her hand and practically dragged her to the quarters, calling out, "Edi…lock the door, shut off all recordings unless told otherwise and do not interrupt us, no matter what. Set coordinates to the planet we talked about and take us there with all due speed. Also, do NOT tell us we're there until 10 am tomorrow. Understood?"

"Understood, Garrus…"

Shepard looked at him, smirking, "Taking charge there, Vakarian? Sorta like insubordination, isn't it?"

Garrus growled, "So court-martial me, Lia….I need to know…do you know what you said? _**REALLY**_ know?"

Shepard hesitated, she'd thought she did, but maybe she'd screwed up, "Yeah…I talked to your mom and she helped me with the pronunciations…told me what it meant, that it was the most powerful…err…words that mates can say to each other…

God, Garrus…if I screwed up the pronunciation or made a mistake…." She hesitated, then said in a much softer voice, terrified she'd insulted him, "Or I misunderstood…maybe I…"

"Shut up, Lia"  
>Lia started, frowning. Garrus had never told her to shut up. <em>Be quiet, hush, stop talking<em>…but never flat out **shut up**. Lia swallowed hard and shut up, waiting for Garrus to speak,

"Lia…I need to make sure you understand what you just said…unlike humans, this isn't something that you can mean now and change later. Once it's said, it's as binding as our life…and I want to make sure that you understand that…."

Lia looked up into his eyes, her eyes honest and straightforward, never wavering as she said, "I know what I meant to say….I know what the phrase means…as long as I pronounced it right. I know what I was saying, or at least what I was trying to say."

"_We are together. We are one. One soul, two bodies, joined eternally, never separated even when physically distant. I join myself to you, eternally"_

Garrus swallowed hard, nodding, "Your pronunciation was very good…"

Lia gazed into his eyes, her hands resting on his mandibles, stroking his cheeks, "Garrus…I love you. I don't know what going to happen here…if we'll even survive the Reapers…but I know that without you…without you, things are not as bright, they're dull and slow…it's like looking at the world through a veil of grey. But with you, life has color, music, joy." Lia stopped talking, she really didn't know what else to say. She just gazed up at him and saw, for the first time in a long time, her mate was truly speechless. Slowly, he lowered his head and nuzzled her temple, pressing his lip plates to her temple. Garrus nuzzled down to her ear, his tongue darting out to tease her, then down her throat as his fingers scurried over her body, undoing her pants and pushing it over her hips. He turned his face to hers, his tongue darting between her lips, their mouths fused as he deepened the kiss and slid his hands to her ship-jacket, undoing the fastenings and breaking the kiss only long enough to slide the jackets and shirt over her head.

Lia's hands were reciprocating, undoing his pants and tunic, stripping them off, finding him more than ready for her. Sighing, she reached down and slid her hands over his cock, but Garrus growled and pushed her back sliding his hands over hers, catching both her wrists in his single hand and pulling then over her head. Gazing down at her, he released her hands, letting them fall to his waist. He gripped her face in both his hands and gazed down at her, speaking strongly,

"**ka'herta jafcleet laspah amica**_"_ His eyes never left her face, and she responded in kind,

"_ka'herta jafcleet laspah amica" _Then Garrus growled, but this was not the growl she was used too; this was deeper, yet wilder. It was like the difference between a dog and a wolf. Still growling, nuzzling her ear and grabbing her waist and picking her up, her legs went around his waist a gave a growl of her own. She expected him to carry her to the bed, as he had so many times before; or even take her to the bathroom, letting the water flow over them. Instead, Garrus moved to the fish tank and leaned her against the tank. Never breaking their contact of their mouths and faces, Garrus reached down, sliding his talons around her mound, caressing her clit before dipping inside her, finding her wet and hot and tight. Even on the edge, his control stretched thin, he had to make sure she was ready; because he wouldn't hurt her, he'd die first. Once he knew she was ready, he readjusted his body, then rubbed the head of his cock across her clit and heard her gasp and moan as she writhed. Smiling, Garrus gripped her hips and slammed himself inside her, deeper than he'd ever been. Their moans were stereo versions of each other and Garrus slid nearly out of her, her hands running over his cowl, darting in to caress and stroke his fringe and the velvet area beneath his fringe. Alternately growling and purring, Garrus began to thrust into her, deeper and deeper, his eyes never wavering from her face as he slammed himself into her and then drew almost all the way out, before slamming back inside her deeply enough that he touched the opening of her womb. Their eyes fused to each other, Lia knew this wasn't about reaching climax, this was more about connecting on a soul deep level. This wasn't sex, it wasn't even making love…it was a vow. As he thrust inside her, his eyes on hers, he watched as she bit her lip and her pussy tightened around him, a spasm milking his cock. He widened his mandibles slightly, but never stopped his thrusts, never broke eye contact with her, even as he reached up and pulled her lip from her teeth, offering her his wrist. She hesitated, then bit down on his wrist, as he moaned. He knew he was getting close, so close…and so was she. She sucked and bit his wrist, eyes still on his.  
>"Spirits, Lia…so tight and wet…and that spasm you do, it brings me every time…"<p>

Made bold by his words, Lia stopped her work on his wrist and said, "You fill me so well, Garrus, it's like I never made love until I made love with you. The feel of you inside me makes me feel so good…OH GOD…yes….."

AS he trust with determination, he never broke eye contact as he whispered, "ka'herta jafcleet laspah amica… ka'herta jafcleet laspah amica… ka'herta jafcleet laspah amica"

Lia was so close, striving for release, but she didn't want to cum alone, she wanted him to explode into pieces with her. When he began to speak, almost chant, Lia fell into the cadence with him, "ka'herta jafcleet laspah amica, ka'herta jafcleet laspah amica, ka'herta jafcleet laspah amica…."

As they spoke, their voices falling into sync, Lia felt herself fly off the brink, exploding around him, colors flashing in her eyes, though never stopping her from seeing her lover, her mate's eyes as she flew into pieces she felt him roar, felt his cock erupt inside her, his release spurting over and over inside her, his eye never leaving hers. Never a quiet lover, when Garrus swelled inside her, rubbing her with that line of scales that she loved so much and burying his teeth in the curve of her neck and shoulder, she screamed when she came again. AS she began to calm, she turned her face and bit Garrus, worrying it a little to drive her teeth deeper inside of him as he was buried inside her. The feel of her teeth marking him, the pain from the bite and the taste of her blood from his own bite sent him back over the edge, spurting more of his release inside her.

Both were panting, both gasping; one of Garrus' hands rested beneath his lover's ass, holding her up, her legs around his waist, her thighs hooked into his hip spurs. AS they came down from the high of their climaxes, Lia felt the coldness of the fish tank against her back and wondered idly if they'd broken it. She couldn't tell if the wetness she felt was sweat from her back, or if they'd broken the tank. Garrus' face rested in the curve of her shoulder, idly nuzzling and rubbing his face at the curve of her neck and shoulder. He felt her quivering, panting hard, her hands spasming around his fringe as her tunnel did to his cock.

Slowly, Garrus raised his face, meeting her languid eyes, "I love you Lia Shepard…from now until the end of all the suns in existence."

Lia pressed her lips against him, a relatively chaste kiss as she said, "I love you, Garrus Vakarian…until all light is gone from the galaxy…"

Forcing his last bit of strength, Garrus stood straight, pulling her away from the fish tank hearing the faint sound of her flesh peeling off the glass of the tank. He glanced at the tank, thankful it seemed undamaged, then move to her to the bed, laying them both down carefully, keeping her on top of him. His purring, deep and contented, sent her over the edge into sleep, but Garrus lay awake longer, simply enjoying his mates even breathing and the power of her arms, even in her sleep, that held tight to him. Finally, he drifted off to sleep, knowing that while Commander Shepard protected and sheltered her crew, her friends, it was here that she could find her own shelter in her mate's arms.

CHAPTER BREAK

"Officer Vakarian…we are 60 minutes out from our destination." Groaning, Garrus seriously considered burying his face in his mates hair and going back to sleep. Suddenly, however, Garrus remembered WHICH destination. He carefully slid from the nest, his mate mewing in discontent at his absence. Smiling, he placed one of his pillow in her arms and covered her up before turning and heading to the shower.

He was nervous…would have been nervous even if he's told his mate what he planned; even after what she's said yesterday. But after yesterday, he no longer wondered if she's go along with it…or leave him standing alone, bereft. He dressed carefully, taking the clothes from a box in the back of the their closet. He'd already given Tali the very important box. He's been surprised when Tali had told him how many of the crew wanted to be there for this…and since not everyone could leave the ship there was a live feed running from the places they were going.

Garrus pulled a dress from a bag at the far side of the closet, and put the other package into a pouch he was going to carry down. Hesitating, he wondered how long he'd been unconsciously planning this. The pot of gel he'd put in the pouch was human safe, and then there was _the _dress.

He'd picked up this dress, in Shepard's size, the last time they'd been on Illium, before the Christmas party. It was beautiful, though not as beautiful as his mate. It was made of some soft fabric that flowed almost like water, flowing over his hands as he carefully handled it. It would fall to just below her knees, the top was designed with a wide neckline, going out so round it nearly fell off her shoulder and when he'd seen it on the mannequin, he'd seen how the neckline was vaguely reminiscent of a Turian's cowl. But there the similarities ended; this dress exposed the top of his mate's beautiful breasts and her delectable shoulders as well as the bite on her shoulder. The top came to an end just at the middle of her ribs.  
>The bottom of the dress saw on her hips, dipping low enough in front and back that her thong, if she chose to wear it, would show. The front showed off his mates tanned, tight abdomen and her hip bones. There was a tight band around the top of the skirt, from which flare of the skirt flirted with her legs and pelvis, moving like a living thing around her. The top of bottom of the dress were separated by at least 6 inches, exposing her waist; the only thing keeping the top and bottom from being different garments was the think lines of fabric and chain that connected the two. The dress from in a beautiful silver grey, but throughout the fabric were threads of blue; and the draping of the neckline, the connections between the top and bottom were that same deep, shining blue. Then there was a band around the hips of the dress' bottom, from which the rest of the skirt flowed, and that was blue as well. The blue matched his armor perfectly, as did the silver grey. And his own tunic was in the deep blue, matching her dress and his armor, and the pants were the gleaning silvergrey. Lucky for him, he hadn't had to buy the underwear that went with the dress. Kasumi had found him in some store called "Victoria's Secret"; which was full of so many different kinds of under garments he nearly had a stroke trying to keep up. Did she want push up? Water bar? Cleavage encourager? Front opener? Was he apples? Grapefruits? Watermelons? What about panties? Thong, yes, that he knew…but did she want bows? Silk? Satin? Taffeta? What about a "teddy"? Garrus was about to disprove the old saying that the only time you saw a Turian's back was when he was dead by fleeing in terror, when he was saved by Kasumi.

Kasumi had seen his terror and confusion and asked what he was doing in the store and Garrus had stammered that he was trying to find a present for Shepard… He hadn't intended to show Kasumi the dress, but when she explained she needed to see it to judge why type of underwear to choose, he showed her. The sales ladies and Kasumi all gathered around Garrus, who was sure at that point that "Victoria's Secret" was that no man ever left the store alive. After showing them the dress and Kasumi giving a very complete run down of Shepard's sizes (he couldn't help but wonder _HOW_ Kasumi knew what size underwear his mate wore; but by that time he was just desperate to want to get this and get OUT.

They finally put together an ensemble that Garrus was sure his mate would never wear; which after seeing it, made him sad. There was a beautiful cleavage enhancing bust, a thong (they'd had quite a discussion as to "boy shorts", "bikini" and "thong", but Garrus had interrupted, deciding on a thong, which left no doubt on that choices). The final choices were a garter belt and thigh high hose. And since Garrus hadn't thought of it (poor, delusional male…thinking he can shop for his mate), Kasumi got a pair of shoes in the same blue as the elements on the dress, not extremely high heels, since he'd told her that the last time, Lia hadn't been able to walk in the shoes.

Glancing over at the sleeping beauty on the bed, he moved, vocalizing his morning call, despite having been up for over an hour. He knelt on the bed, and vocalized right up against her, letting her feel the vibrations in his chest. She smiled, sleepily and opened her eyes, reaching up to try and pull him down into the bed with her, but he avoided her, looking serious. Frowning, Shepard said, "Is something wrong?". Immediately she worried that he was regretting last night, but her fears were put to rest when he smiled at her in his unique, Turian fashion said,

"No, but I want to take you out…to a nice restaurant…have a glorious day. This planet is said to be one of the most beautiful planets in the world…."

Sitting up in their nest, she noticed the outfit, "Wow…spiffy! I don't know, Garrus…I don't think I have anything to wear that is as nice as what you're wearing. "

Garrus grinned and said, "Then I guess it's a good thing you bondmate plans ahead, hmmm?" and produced the hanging bag and boxes.

A lump formed in Shepard's throat, it was the first time he'd referred to her as his "bondmate" in that fashion. He's introduced her as "bondmate" to his parents, but referring to himself as her bondmate was as close as he'd come to saying "your husband". Once more Lia felt a twinge, she wished they could get married before she turned herself in…but she doubted Garrus had even thought about that. Smiling at him, Shepard sat up and unzipped the dress bad first, gasping at the beautiful dress in front of her. Shepard was a soldier, much more comfortable in fatigues and armor than a dress; but there was some small, nearly buried part of her that loved the thought of dressing up and feeling feminine and pretty, though she didn't see herself as either. But this dress was one of the most beautiful things she'd ever seen.

Garrus…this is beautiful, but I have nothing to wear with it!" Grinning, Garrus produced two boxes, one of which was emblazoned with "VICTORIA'S SECRET" Glancing at her mate, she wondered what on earth he'd been doing in a Victoria's secret store and if she was even going to be able to wear whatever he'd chosen for her. But looking at his expectant face, she knew that no matter how heinous, she's be wearing this.

Opening the box, she gasped. The bra sat on top of the pile of clothes, it's color matched the dress, and the she noticed it was a cleavage enhancer. She started to tease Garrus about that, but the look of hopeful joy stopped her. She hurried to look at the thong which was just perfect, but she knew that Garrus loves thongs. The garter belt and hose, however, those might prove to be a problem. Hesitantly, she looked up at Garrus, prepared to tell him that she had no intention of wearing thigh highs or a garter belt, but the hope, joy and anticipation on his face changed her mind. She'd find a way to wear them if it killed her; because the thought of causing that look on her mate's face to go away was just not acceptable. Hell, she'd beaten TWO reapers…surely she could figure out how to wear a pair of thigh highs and a garter belt.

The second box made her break out in a cold sweat; the memory of the shoes that Kasumi and Miranda had talked her into wearing for the last "dress up for Garrus" night scared her. When she opened the box, however, she was relieved…and fascinated. The shoes had a modest heel, and were strappy silver sandals with insets of blue that matched the dress. After a moment of thinking, she realized that the colors, both silver/grey and blue, matched Garrus armor too. The thought of wearing his colors made her heart quicken, so she raised her eyes to her mate's, who was trying to appear content and not anxious.

"I love it all, Garrus! I can't believe you bought all this for me! It must have cost a fortune. Garrus, relieved, smiled and said,

"You're worth every credit, amica"

Shepard climbed out of their nest and headed to the bathroom to dress, leaving the main dress in the cabin. Garrus frowned, "Don't you like the dress" Lia smiled back at him,

"I love it…but if I take it into the bathroom, the steam may damage it…it looks like silk and I don't want to damage it. I'll shower, do my hair, put on the underwear….then come out to get the dress on."

Garrus watched his mate disappear into the bathroom, "Want me to help wash our back, amica?"

"Garrus, if you come help me in the shower, I'll never to wear that spiffy new outfit!", Shepard laughed as Garrus chuckled.

Twenty minutes later, Lia exited the bathroom, wearing the underwear, hose, garter belt and all. She was pretty proud of herself for that figuring those out. AS she stopped at the top of the stairs, Garrus looked up and froze. Shepard had to swallow a laugh when she recognized the look of utter shock on his face. He looked, for all the world, as if someone had smacked him in the face. With the stick he carried up his ass and used to beat people with . The image was so strange, that Shepard finally did laugh out loud. That startled Garrus into looking up into her eyes and whispering, "You're beautiful, amica….just beautiful…"

Shepard blushed, "It's the outfit, Garrus….anyone would.." Garrus shook his head,

"No, amica…the beauty in the woman makes the outfit…."

Blushing, walked forward in the strappy heels, pleased they were easy to walk in and relatively comfortable. And reached for the dress, taking it from the bag and sliding it over her head. She settled the dress on her body, settling the neckline that was more risqué than anything she'd ever worn, and then settling the blue band around her hips, settling the bands that kept the two halves one dress. She turned to Garrus, and said, performing a slow 360, "Well how do I look?"

Garrus was speechless, he'd loved the dress and the fantasy of her wearing it but the reality stole his breath and struck him dumb. He hoped the look in his eye told her how beautiful she was…because he didn't have the air to speak. Shepard smiles, after all these months in his arms, she knew the look in his eyes. She smiled, it was all worth it, just for that look in her mate's eyes.

Shepard sat in the seat of the shuttle and watched her mate. He talked to Tali and Reeger, who had joined them on this trip. Apparently, Garrus had approved shore leave for most of the crew. Shepard frowned, she wondered when that conversation had occurred. As the shuttle landed, Garrus appeared more and more nervous and Tali kept poking him, speaking to him. Before Shepard could get there, Tali and Kal Reeger, along with the pilot, had opened the door, leapt out, and shut the door again.

Now she KNEW something was up. Shepard turned to her mate, a frown marring her face as she said, "Ok, big guy…spill. What's going on?"

Garrus stood and pulled her, reaching up to tentatively touch her hair. She'd worn it differently tonight, it was collected back in a clip that looked like a Turian's fringe, but opened an caught her air, then closed leaving her hair coming out but still contained. She called it a "banana clip". Part of her hair, in the front was loose about her face, giving her an softer look. Sighing, Garrus knew she was waiting for him to speak, so he drew a gentle talon down her face and said, "Amica…do you remember the other night, you were talking about marriage and mating ceremonies? How the simplest ones were just a marriage certificate and a just and peace?"

Shepard frowned, "Justice of the Peace, honey…yeah, I remember. Because I listed you as husband on my papers…."

Taking a deep breath, Garrus tried to force his gizzard back into place and said, "Well…I contacted Liara….and asked her to find a place that had a, err.. Justice person…and the Turian equivalent, a _clopro_."

Shepard froze, "Garrus…are you…asking me to marry you?"

Wishing like hell he'd watched more of those damn vids, Garrus dropped to his spurs and looked up at Lia and said, taking her hand, "Lia, I love you…you're already my bondmate…will you agree to marry me, by my wife and my legal mate? " And Garrus seemed to hold his breath, as Lia stared at him in shock,

"What about…"

"I don't give a Spirits damn about my family, or the Alliance, or the Batarians or the Reapers. If you don't want anyone to know, then we'll keep it quiet…but Lia…there is not Vakarian without Shepard….and I want…I want you to marry me…please?" Garrus hated that he sounded like he was begging, but he found that despite his thinking he'd be ok if she said no…he wouldn't be. So he stared up at her and then he saw it, a stray tear made it way from one corner of her eye down her cheek and Garrus prepared himself, convinced she was about to tell him they couldn't…give him any of 20 reasons it wasn't possible….rip him a new one for doing all this without permission…but instead, she stepped forward, wrapped her arms around his neck and said,

"Yes. YES Garrus…I will, I do…whatever….I love you, and right now, I want to be selfish. I want to be your wife, your mate…and if people don't like it, they can kiss my ass…"

Smiling broadly, Garrus stood up, dropping his forehead to hers, he said, wanting to shout with joy, "OUR ass, amica….they can kiss OUR ass!"

"Then let's go get married…mated…err…whatever!"

Garrus chuckled, "Both, actually…we've got a package that has a human ceremony and a Turian one…..compliments of Liara…."

Shepard grinned at him, "Remind me to call and thank her…."

A voice from outside the door called, "Why not just step out and thank her, Shepard?"

Garrus and Shepard exchanged looks, and Shepard triggered the door, and there stood Liara, smiling broadly with Tali by her side. Liara said,  
>"Did you think I would miss this? It's not often my best friends get joined…."<p>

CHAPTER BREAK

"Do you, Garrus Vakarian take this woman Lia Shepard to be your lawfully wedded wife. To honor her and keep her, in sickness and in health, love her and stand with her in life's battles, cleaving only unto her, until death do you part?" The minister droned on a bit, but Garrus paid strict attention, he wasn't missing his part,

"And beyond…I do".

The minister smiled at the words of the groom and said,

"And do you, Lia Shepard, take this man, Garrus Vakarian to be your lawfully wedded husband. To honor him and keep him, in sickness and in health, love him and stand with him in all of life's battles, cleaving only until him, until death do you part?"

"Even Death can't do that…I know that for a fact", there was laughter in the audience as Shepard said, clearly, "I do."

Then by the power vested in me, and by the laws of the love and the Council decrees, I now pronounce you man and wife….you may…err…nuzzle the bride."

Garrus did better than that, he kissed her; and kissed her until there was the sound of shuffling feet and clearing throats. A voice filled with humor , sub harmonics happy said, "Yes, well…don't forget you're not done here…."

Garrus and Shepard broke apart, breathless and there was more laughter as Garrus turned to the Turian version of a minister and said, "Excuse us…please continue."

"Garrus Vakarian, do you agree to combine with this woman? To take her into your clan, to provide for her, to love her, to support and be supported by her for the duration of the time you have together? Will you take her as mate?"

Gurus' words were strong and sure, "I will take her as my mate, my joy, all that I have is hers and all that I am is hers."

Lia clutched her little card, written on it was the words she would have to say, thankfully in English , to make her mating with Garrus legal in the Hierarchy.

"Lia Shepard, do you agree to combine with this man? To be taken into his clan, to provide for him, to love him and to support and be supported by him for the duration of your time together. Will you take him as mate?"

Lia's voice was husky, but sure as she spoke the words she'd memorized, "I will take him as my mate, my joy and all that I have is his, all that I am is his."

The Clopro said, "I decree this is a good mating, that dominance and submission are set and shared. I grant you, Lia Shepard, a reserve citizenship of the Hierarchy as the wife of Garrus Vakarian, part of his clan, and part of the Hierarchy. May your mating give you much joy, support and many children… Will you take his clan colors, Lia Shepard, mate of Garrus Vakarian?"

Lia looked directly at Garrus, who for the first time since the ceremony had started looked a little nervous, 'Yes, I will."

The Clopro nodded and Garrus picked up a small, very ornate box and unlocked it with an actual key, then removed a long, narrow scarf, with embroidery. He placed it around her neck, letting the ends trail down over her breasts. Garrus hesitated, then began to shut the box, but Lia placed a hand in his, and he felt something cool in his palm. He looked down and saw her dog tags. He looked back up, shocked and she shrugged, saying softly, "I don't have a burra…this is as close as I can get…." He squeezed her hand, then put the dog tags in the box and locked it, placing the key into his pocket. Setting the box aside, he picked up a small post and looked at Lia questioningly, she nodded smiling at him and he took a paint brush from the pot and began to trace his family marks onto Lia's human cheeks. It wasn't an exactly copy, because her human features made it more difficult. But in the end, she wore a good semblance of his clan markings"

The Clopro began to speak, but Garrus held up a hand and Turian stopped head tilted. There were several other Turian's present,, mostly other couples and they paused as well,

Garrus looked at his mate, and began to make noise, trilling, caaing, fweeping, tahai….the sounds were beautiful, and unexpected. The Normandy crew remained silent, not used to this. The "song" ended as Garrus gave a deep, purring trill and lowered his head, placing his forehead on his mates and saying, "ka'herta jafcleet laspah amica." There were gasps from the Turian's present, but it was ignore, her forehead still pressed to Garrus', she said, "ka'herta jafcleet laspah amica"

The Clopro cleared his throat, sounding a bit shocked, "Well…yes…I pronounce you mated in the eyes of the Hierarchy….welcome, Bondmates."

CHAPTER BREAK

A week later, Garrus and Shepard returned to the Normandy, they'd had a glorious week, comfortable and happy on a private island. Nothing to bother them, no wars, no Reapers….just rejoicing in being together.

Garrus grumbled, "I don't want to come back, amica…"

Shepard chuckled, "I know, Garrus…but unfortunately time and Reapers wait for no man…."

Garrus chuckled "You just made that up…" Shepard laughed,

"Only partially…actually, I paraphrased." By now they'd entered the airlock and were walking into the Normandy. Their smiles faded, as they were met by the team, all glaring at a pale, and Shepard noted, bruised, Kaiden. One look at Kaiden's face and Shepard knew; so did Garrus, as he clutched at his mate, growling. Kaiden spoke softly,  
>"I'm sorry, Shepard…it's time. The Alliance called, they want you on Earth in a week."<p> 


	29. Scene 25

_Author notes…Ok…now we move from the between the games, to events in ME3. I want to warn everyone again that I will NOT be going along the ME3 storyline. So please don't jump on me because "There are dozens of Reapers on earth! You only wrote a few" or "Shepard gave the Normandy to the Alliance…you're messing the story up by not doing it right". Some parts and pieces of Cannon ME3 will show up, but for the most part, this is an AU story. Yes, Shepard will be trying to get support, and yes, her crew will show up in odd places, and yes, sometimes her crew will not be on the Normandy the entire run. BUT, there will be her core crew, there will be new/old friends, choices and considerations…and yes some things will be very different. I hope you enjoy it!"_

_**VERY SPECIAL THANKS to Marie-Fanwriter who is now my Beta! THANK YOU SO MUCH! Any future mistakes are mine and mine alone…she's MUCH better than I am at this!**_

_**&CHAPTER BREAK&**_

"Commander?" Shepard looked up from the communications table and saw Miranda and Jacob standing just inside the door.

Giving them a wan smile, she replied , "Miranda…Jacob… what can I do for you?"

Miranda hesitated, which was a little surprising, then said, "Commander…shouldn't you be spending your last night with Garrus rather than here in the comm room?" Shepard smiled,

"I fully intend to…I just wanted to make sure that everything was in place. Miranda, you know…"

Miranda walked forward and placed her hand over Shepard's, drawing a surprised look from the Commander, but Miranda went on, "Commander, we're ready…we'll drop off the crew members where they need to go, and we'll do everything in our power to get as much support as we can. I know this is hard on you, and if you change your mind…"

Shepard smiled at Miranda, "I know Miranda…but this is the only thing we can do."

Miranda sighed and smiled a little, "Then go… Shepard… go get something to eat, spend time with Garrus… and trust us to make things work on this end."

Shepard nodded, and headed toward the elevator. Remembering just before she pushed the button that she had one more person to speak with, she headed toward the cockpit. "Joker…I want to talk to you."

Joker turned around in his chair and for the first time in a long time, Joker wasn't joking. "Sure Commander…what's up?"

"I want you to make me a promise…"

Joker looked as serious as he ever had: he sat up straighter and said, "Anything Commander…"

"Don't let the Alliance have my ship Joker…and don't let Cerberus have it either. I trust you…I trust you to make sure that when I get back, we still have the Normandy."

Joker nodded, clearing his throat, "You got it Commander…and if you decide to run just let me know… no one will ever find us!"

Shepard smiled, putting her hand gently on Joker's shoulder, "Thanks Joker but this is the only way to do it. Trust me, I've considered every angle. You remember what I said Joker…keep our baby safe….

Edi spoke up, "We will, Commander…."

Nodding, Shepard headed out of the cockpit and went to elevator taking it down to the crew quarters. She entered the mess and headed to the kitchen. Gardner looked almost teary eyed as he handed her a tray and she smiled. The entire room was quiet, the sound of forks hitting trays loudly. Shepard looked around and saw Kaiden at a table by himself, morosely eating his meal. The rest of the group in the mess sat on the other side of the room, and occasional nasty looks were directed toward him. She noticed that only the ship's crew crew were there, not one of her team mates.

Though Gabby and Ken sat quietly near the head of the table, and everyone was, of course, watching her. Urz loped up to her, head lowered as he waggled at her. She leaned down and scratched his spines and said, "hey boy…how are you doing?" Resolutely, she moved to the table where Kaiden sat alone and asked, "Hey, Kaiden… you ok?"

Kaiden looked up, surprised and then smiled a little as he replied, "Hey Shepard…yeah, I'm fine… just getting everything ready, ya know?"

Shepard sat down across from him, and Urz sat next to her, "I bet you're excited to be going back to Earth, right?"

Hesitating, Kaiden sighed, "Yeah, I am…I know you're not, but…"

Shepard shook her head, "No, it's ok…you don't have to explain, I get it… You want to tell me where you got those bruises…."

Kaiden refused to look anywhere, even at her as he said, "I was working out…got a bit…carried away."

"Uh huh…ok…."

Kaiden finished his meal and stood up, "Excuse me, Shepard… I need to finish packing."

Sighing, she tossed the rest of her food to Urz and stood up, heading to the elevator as the Varren trotted along beside her. She went to engineering first, heading into the engineering room to see Tali. As the doors opened, Tali spun around, "Shepard…I…oh Shepard…." Tali threw her arms around Shepard and hugged her. Shepard smiled and patted the Quarian's back, and said,

"It's ok, Tali…we've known this was going to happen. It'll be fine. You're going back to the Fleet to try and make them see reason, so it's not like things were going to stay the same anyway."

Tali sniffed, "No…but I could have thought of you here on the Normandy… not standing trial with none of us there for you. You stood up for me when I was on trial… and now none of us will be able to be there for you… it's not… fair."

Shepard sighed, "I know, Tali…but what has to be, has to be. Everything will work out…."

Tali looked miserable and after a few more minutes, Shepard turned to leave. Urz waited patiently, until Tali got a snack out and threw it to the varren.

Taking the steps down to the cubby where Jack stayed, Urz hesitated then made his "yipyipyip" sound and Jack shouted, obviously in a very bad mood "Shut the fuck up".

Shepard turned the corner and said, "Hey Jack…" Jack was sitting with her bags packed and Shepard felt a surge of loss. "All packed up, I see…"

"Well aint you Ms. Observant…." Shepard ignored her bitterness and sarcasm, it was just her way of being upset.

"Where are you going, Jack?"

"Shit, Shepard…I don't know. But I aint stayin here with the cheerleader without you. But you get back here, I'll be back…that I promise you."

Shepard nodded, smiling. "Thank you Jack…."

Jack grinned at her, "You sure you don't want me to run this shit? Make us pirates? I guarantee you that if you do, when you get back I'll have all the fuckin help we'll need….our own fucking army…."

Shepard laughed as she stood up, "You get that army, Jack… and we'll talk about the pirate thing…"

Jack laughed too and tossed Urz a piece of jerky as Shepard left.

Urz followed his mistress, he wasn't sure what was happening, but everyone was so sad…his mistress and her mate clung to each other. As the Mistress walked into the room at the end of the hall, where the old Merc lived he followed.  
>"Hey Zaeed… everything ok?"<p>

"Fine, Shepard…how are you holdin up?"

"I'm fine…are you ready?"

Zaeed smiled, "Ready as I'll ever be…gonna stay here on the Normandy and I'll get some connections going. When you're done with this shite, we'll be ready."

Shepard smiled, "Good to hear…I'm glad you're staying here." Zaeed tossed a jerky strip to Urz and grinned,

"Got to stay here in case you get tired of the birdyman…." Shepard laughed with him as she headed down the hall to Grunt's room.

Grunt stood in the center of the room, looking around. He saw Shepard and said, "Battlemaster! Why are you going with this puppy man without a fight?" Shepard couldn't help but grin: 'Puppy man?' she thought, but said,  
>Grunt…I have to go try and make Earth see the reality of the situation. But I know that I can count on you to go back to Tuchunka and help Wrex raise an army."<p>

Grunt slammed his fist into his hand and shouted, "We will DESTROY all who stand between us and victory!"

Chuckling, Shepard left Grunt's room, followed closely by Urz. She entered the elevator and rode to the crew quarters. Her first stop was Samara's room and she saw that she had most of her things packed up. The room looked bare, but at least for now Samara sat in the middle of the floor in meditation. Samara started, "Shepard…" the blue glow faded and she stood turning to face her. "I am honored that you have come to see me before you leave."

Shepard said, "Samara, you told me once that when the Collector danger was over, I had to release you from your oath…I'm prepared to do that now…"

Samara stood by the window, staring out at the stars as Shepard walked over to her. Samara looked at Shepard and said, "Shepard…the battle is won, but the war still rages. I am unwilling to be released from my vow to you until the reapers are defeated."

Shepard smiled, "I was hoping you'd say that, Samara. But you know I won't be here for a while…"

"Your presence, while welcome, is not necessary for my honoring of my vow. I will continue to do what is necessary to defeat our enemies. I have some influences that I will bring to bear for this situation…while you are gone, I will be gone from this ship as well. However, when the time is right, I will return."

Shepard nodded, "Thank you, Samara…I am very glad for your continuing help."

Shepard and Urz next made their way to Life Support , and found Thane sitting in his familiar place, hands folded. "Please, Siha…sit. I would speak to you…" Shepard sat down, more than a little nervous, as Thane continued, "Siha…are you sure of this course of action?"

Shepard nodded, "There isn't anything else I can do, Thane. Trust me, I've considered every possibility. But all I can do is try my best to get everyone on the same page."

Thane nodded, "Very well, Siha…then I will support your decision. Once you have left I will return to the Citadel and spend some time with my son. While I am there, I will gather what support I can. When the time comes, call me back to the Normandy. I will bring all the support I can muster." As he spoke, Thane idly scratched the Varren's head and Shepard smiled,

"That sounds great… but you know you're free to remain onboard the Normandy, right?"

"I know that I am welcome, Siha…but for several reasons, it is best that I go for now."

Shepard looked worried, "If it's Garrus…" Thane covered her hand with his own, giving her that gentle, dignified smiled,

"Is it not your mate, Siha….I would simply prefer to have some contact with my son…."

Shepard looked at him, waiting a few moments before she questioned him further, "Is that the only reason?" Thane looked uncomfortable, but with a sigh, said,

"No, Siha…. There is… another reason." Shepard looked at him, raising her eyebrow as she waited, Thane said, "I have no desire to be aboard this ship without you."

Now it was her turn to sigh, covering Thane's hand with her own. He turned his hand and held hers. Together they sat still, silent except for the panting of the Varren.

_**CHAPTER BREAK**_

Entering the med-bay, Shepard saw Chakwas sitting at her desk, two glasses of Serrice Ice Brandy set before her. Seeing Shepard, Chakwas smiled and said, "Ahh, just the woman I was looking for…"

Shepard and Chakwas shared a glass, both women laughing and talking about the last three years. Looking at her, Chakwas said, "Commander… I want you to promise me you'll be careful out there… I won't be there to patch you up…."

Shepard reached out and squeezed the doctor's hand, "You better believe it, Doc…."

Leaving the doctor at her desk, she walked into the AI Core and saw Legion standing there, unmoving. Clearing her throat she said "Legion?"

"Shepard-Commander… we have a question."

Shepard nodded, "ok… what is it?"

"Why is it necessary for you to leave this ship and return to your planet? Does your government not know that you have information far more important than this?"

Taking a deep breath, Shepard said, "Human's, actually most organics, aren't always logical, Legion. I made a decision that cost many lives…."

"But the decision saved far more, Shepard-Commander…."

"Be that as it may, I still have to let them pass judgment on me."

Legion observed her, then said, "We must confer on this…there is no consensus as of yet."

Leaving him to talk among…himself… themselves… whatever… Shepard left the med-bay.

After leaving the AI Core, she stopped by Miranda's office. The two women talked quietly for a few minutes. As the conversation was coming to a close Miranda made a point of saying "Shepard…just be careful, all right? I don't want my work wasted…."

Shepard grinned and said, "I will…and you take good damn care of my ship and crew…I don't want to come back and find out you've gotten my ship destroyed or my crew spaced…."

Miranda smiled, "Not even Joker?"

Shepard laughed, Miranda rarely joked, but when she did, it was a dry humor "no…not even Joker. Besides, Edi might be annoyed if you spaced him…"

"Very true, Commander; I would not be happy if Miranda spaced Jeff…."

It felt good to laugh, even if there was an undercurrent of sadness.

Kasumi was next on the list to visit and when Shepard entered the room she was thrilled to see everything was the normal. Kasumi was sitting on the couch, and she looked up when Shepard walked in. Shepard sighed, Kasumi was crying. Shepard moved to sit opposite Kasumi on the couch and Kasumi said, "Oh, Shepard…are you sure you're going to be okay? You watch that Kaiden…I don't trust him…."

Shepard squeezed her leg and said, "Kaiden is just doing his duty… and I'll be fine."

Kasumi sighed and said, "Just be careful, ok? I….I worry about you…."

"Will you be staying on the Normandy?" Kasumi sighed again, she didn't want to give Shepard the tape but she was beginning to think Edi was right. She said,

"Yea… at least, it'll be my base of operations. I may make some…forays into the world…but this is my home now. And I'll not lose that without a fight. It's been a long time since I had a home… or a family. And now I have both… and I don't want to lose either…."

Shepard squeezed her leg and said "you're not going to lose either, Kasumi… you'll always have a place on the Normandy… you're family too, you know?"

As Shepard left, Kasumi bit her lip, then said, "Edi? Ask Garrus to come here please."

"Shall I key up the recording, Kasumi?" Kasumi hesitated, then sighed,

"Yes…I think it's time."

_**Chapter Break**_

Shepard walked into the lab and found Mordin working, several boxes of information packed up to the side. Frowning, she said, "Are you leaving, Mordin?"

He blinked at her, and then replied, "yes…but will return. Most likely before you. Must meet with affiliate individuals and gather assistance."

Shepard nodded, "That makes sense…how are you faring on the Keprels cure?"

"Will have cure for Thane within weeks…."

"You'll have to get him to come back to give it to him…."

Interest in his eyes, Mordin said, "Thane is leaving? Shocking…will he return?"

"Yes…he's going to spend some time with his son and gathering some help…"

"Good. Very good…..also may have cure for genophage…not sure yet, requires more testing….will be looking into that while you are away."

Shepard nodded, "You be careful, Mordin… we need you back here…"

He watched her, cocked his head and said, "You too… must have you to lead charge against Reapers… return swiftly… be careful on Earth… much danger could happen…."

Her final stop was Jacob, and she entered the armory quietly, and saw Jacob standing quietly, staring at the table. "hey…."

Jacob jerked then smiled at her, "Hey Shepard. You making the rounds?" Shepard smiled,

"Yeah…habit I guess…and wanting to say goo…"

"NO! Don't say it, Shepard…" eyes wide, Shepard looked at Jacob's face as he stood up, "This isn't goodbye, this is just… until we meet again. Goodbye is too… final. This isn't. We've still got to beat the Reapers and for that, we need you." With that, Jacob turned to the bench and said, gruffly, "can we talk later, Shepard? I want to get this finished…."

Gazing at Jacob's back, Shepard shrugged, "Ok Jacob…later…."

Shaking her head, Shepard entered the elevator and headed down to the crew quarter and went to the Main Battery. Garrus wasn't working when she came in, which surprise her. Instead, he was sitting on the bunk, staring at his hands. When she walked in she smiled and moved to stand in front of him. Wrapping her arms around his cowl, she began to speak, but was interrupted by him standing up and taking her hands. She watched a little surprised, but he said, "Amica… there's something you need to hear… come with me?"

She nodded, frowning, but Garrus took her hand and led her toward Kasumi's quarters. Shepard said, "I was just here…"

"Yeah, I know…she was worried about showing you this…."

Kasumi was pacing when they entered and when she saw them, she turned to Shepard and said, "Shep…I didn't know what to do about this… I wasn't trying to get in the middle of things… but once he said it… I was… I didn't know when to show you…."

Shepard smiled at Kasumi and said, "Just calm down, Kasumi… what is it you want to show me?"

An image appeared on the screen and Shepard found herself listening to a very drunk Kaiden,

_**"We're soul mates, she just won't see it. I think she's with Garrus because he kisses her ass and she likes the power." Kasumi's eyes widened, but she was more surprised a second later when he said, "and I'm going to make her see it. Once she's back on Earth, she'll need me; need someone to be there for her and Garrus won't be there. I just have to get her back to Earth, where she can be taken care of properly. She'll see that this thing with Garrus is an abnormality, that she needs me. All I have to do is bide my time…and once I have her with me, on Earth…I'll have her back where she deserves to be, where she should be."**_

Shepard was quiet, she glanced over at Kasumi, who was watching her, then over at Garrus who was obviously furious. "Edi….ask Kaiden to come in here, please…."

"Right away, Commander"

A few minutes later Kaiden walked into the room and paused, his expression moving from Shepard to Kasumi to Garrus and back again. "Shepard…what's the matter?"

"Re-play it, Edi…"

As his words replayed, Kaiden went pale, he glared at Kasumi, but Shepard saw that and snapped, "No, Kaiden…you don't get to be pissy with Kasumi because _YOU_ got caught. Do you have anything to say?"

Glancing at Garrus, who was growling, Kaiden stood at attention and shook his head. Shepard glanced at Kasumi and said, "I know this is your room, Kasumi, but do you think we could have some privacy here?" Kasumi nodded, then left, and Shepard turned to Garrus who growled,

"DON'T even ask, Shepard…", She grinned at him, despite the current situation and said,

"Never even thought of it, honey…"

But when Shepard turned to Kaiden, there was no smile, her face was cool and very slightly amused as she said, "Let me be clear, Alenko. I don't care where I am, who is around me or any other variable that you might throw out there. Garrus is NOT an "abnormality", I don't "need" you….I don't even _**LIKE**_ you at this point. If the reapers came and wiped out all known sentient life but you and I you would a very short, lonely life, because I would rather be with Harbinger than with you. I will go to Earth because I agreed to do so. But I don't need you, I don't want you…and there is nothing that you have to offer me. Are we clear, Alenko?  
>Kaiden stood at attention, "Clear mamn. Permission to return to my bunk, mamn?"<p>

Shepard nodded, "Permission granted… oh and Alenko? A copy of this will be kept in case you get some idea in your head…."

Kaiden said nothing, simply turned on his heel and marched out.

Garrus growled, but stopped when his mate moved into his arms. He nuzzled her and purred, then said, "It makes me nervous that you'll be alone with him… maybe we should consider changing the plan…."

Shepard snuggled close, "No… now I'm even more sure that I don't want the Alliance anywhere around my ship. No, we'll do this as planned. I can handle Alenko… but I can't handle the Alliance taking the Normandy."

Garrus growled, until her hands rubbed his fringe, then he purred. Smiling up at him, she said, "We have one night, Garrus…one night to hold on too for who knows how long. Sometimes I envy Thane his perfect memory… I wish I could remember every moment of our time together…"

Garrus nuzzled her temple, "We'll just have to make the most of it, amica…."

Shepard grinned, "Tell you what…meet me in our cabin in 30 minutes…ok?

Garrus purred at her, nuzzling her hair, "Sounds good, amica….half an hour it is…."

_**Chapter Break**_

Garrus walked in and found Lia standing there, wearing the lingerie that she's bought for Christmas. She smiled at him as he grinned,

"One last night, Garrus… let's not waste a minute of it?" Shepard winced, she sounded like she was begging, but her mate stepped forward, sliding his hand up he cheek he whispered,

"No… not a moment wasted, amica…."

And not a moment was wasted…. Afterward, he lay there in their nest and cradled her in his arms, nuzzling her temple, her neck, the bite on her shoulder. He'd finally managed with a little help from Mordin, to mark his mate with a mark that didn't heal. And he wore a mark on his own shoulder, her little, blunt, human teeth had made a lasting impression on his leathery skin. He carded his talons through her hair, his other hand wrapped around her waist, holding her against him.

For her part, Shepard drew her nails across his chest plates, making circles and shapes just enjoying the feeling of being in her mate's strong arms.

_**Chapter Break**_

Garrus stood and held his mate, both were dressed in their armor and they stood in the center of her cabin.

"I'm going to miss you so much, Garrus… I don't know… I…."

Garrus nodded, stepping forward and pressing his forehead to hers, "I know amica…but we'll get through this. And once this is over, we'll defeat the reapers and then we'll retire somewhere…maybe we'll use the Normandy as a luxury liner… _for just 10,000 credits spend a week in the ship that saved the galaxy_…."

Shepard laughed, rubbing the tears off her cheeks and said, "Well, Jack has been suggesting we become pirates…maybe we can do the whole _steal from the rich and give to the poor_ type of pirates…."

Shepard looked directly at him, he face serious, "You're going to go to Palavan, right? You're going to be ok…and you're going to gather support?"

Garrus nodded, sliding his thumb over her cheek, "I will, just like we planned. I don't know how much good it'll do, but I'll do my best to get them ready. I'll be fine, amica…Lia…and I'll save up all my _steam _for when we're back together again…."

Looking nervous, Shepard said, "That might be a long time…what happens if…"

Sliding his thumb over her lips, Garrus smiled at her, "Lia, other than the occasional sparing match, and may I add, with **NO** _tiebreaker_, I'll be saving up everything for you. Nothing will happen with anyone else…put that thought out of your mind, ok?"

Leaning against him, she slid her hands over his biceps and said, "Ok… and we have our mood stones…."

Garrus smiled, "Yes, we do… so we'll send our love to each other through the stones… it's not perfect; and it's certainly not up to my normal stylish manner, but it'll do until we can be back together."

She leaned into his arms, "I love you, Garrus…you have no idea how scared I am… how much I just want to chuck it all and run away…."

Caressing her hair, he said softly, "yeah, I do know…there IS a collector base I know of…it's a, what do you humans call it? An upper fix?"

Shepard snorted, "A fixer upper…."

"Right… a fixer upper…. But we might be able to make a home there."

Shepard laughed, but before she could reply, Edi's voice came on, "Commander Shepard, we're approaching the drop site…."

Shepard sighed, it was time to go.

_**Chapter Break**_

Taking a deep breath, Shepard looked around the CIC, at the faces of her crew, her family. All were upset, but most tried to put a strong, calm face on it. Kelly wept openly at her station, and Joker, in the cockpit seemed almost on the verge of tears himself. Drawing herself up to her full height, Shepard said, "Ok folks…remember, I'm counting on you…but more than this, the galaxy is counting on you. The goals haven't changed, I may not be here to stare over your shoulder," Joke snorted, and Shepard grinned, "but I'm going to be watching you anyway. So don't let me down, ok?

Miranda is now in charge, and Garrus is the new XO. However, if it comes down to brass tacks, I'm giving total control of this ship to Joker and Edi…they will," a glare at Joker, who looked shocked, "follow Miranda's and Garrus' orders…Understand, Joker?"

Joker nodded, but didn't seem to be able to say anything, Edi's voice came over the speaker and she said, "Commander… I will make sure that Jeff follows orders and doesn't abuse his status. I would like to share something with you, Commander, if I may…"

Surprised, Shepard nodded, turning to the display in the center of CIC. Edi's blue holographic display dimmed, then went out and when it came back, instead of the blue "mushroom" there stood a tall woman, wearing the Shepard's Alliance for Peace ship uniform. He hair was blond, and pulled up on top of her head in a bun, her blue eyes shone from her pale face and she smiled at Shepard and said, "Thanks to Tali-Zorah vas Normandy's gift, I am able to set my own holographic image. I chose to resemble you Commander…with my own unique spin."

Shepard shared a glance at Garrus, who smirked at her, "Thank you Edi, I'm honored…and I'm honored that you've chosen to share this with me before I go."

Kaiden cleared his throat, "Commander… we should go…."

Shepard looked over her shoulder at the Alliance Marine, and put her hand on Garrus' arm when she heard him growl. Quickly, Shepard wiped the tears from her eyes and said, "You're right, Alenko, time to go…she hesitated and said, "This isn't goodbye, just until we meet again…. I trust you all to do your best to perform to the best of your abilities. Take care everyone…."

As she turned to enter the airlock, she heard Edi's voice, "Crew…ATTENTION…." and Shepard glanced over her shoulder to see the entire crew standing at attention saluting her. She nodded, choked up a little, "At ease, people…" With a final smile at her crew, she reached out and took Garrus' talons in her hand.

Shepard, Kaiden and Garrus entered the airlock. Kaiden cleared his throat, "I'll wait for you in the shuttle, Commander…"

Left alone, Lia turned to Garrus, she could hear the soft keening coming from her mate, but she stepped into his arms, he rested his forehead on hers and whispered, "I love you, amica… until we're together again, hold on to that…."

Shepard nodded, "You too, honey… I love you so much, Garrus… I'll miss you, but I know you'll do what you have to do, and I'll be back in your arms soon…. You'll take care of Urz?"

Garrus chuckled, "yeah…I'll make sure your menace is taken care of…" Garrus nuzzled her and she pressed her lips against him, clinging for a moment before they both took a deep breath and each prepared to go their separate ways.

Their hands were joined and as she stepped toward the shuttle, they touched hands until they could no longer touch. As the doors closed, Lia pressed two fingers to her lips, pulling them away toward Garrus and he made a fist over his heart, moving it away toward her. Then the doors shut and Garrus was left standing in the airlock.

"Officer Vakarian, you have to re-enter the ship before the airlock can finish cycling for the shuttle to leave. Grimacing, Garrus thought, 'maybe I should just stay here…then they can't leave.' But logically, he knew he couldn't, so he turned and re-entered the ship, wincing as the door shut behind him. He turned, shutting his eyes and resting his head on the door, and the crew simply went about their duties, even Joker, said nothing to Garrus. They just let him have this time to mourn.

Shepard stood, her forehead resting on the shuttle door. Kaiden cleared his throat, his voice soft and quiet, "Shepard…come and sit down."

Her eyes closed, Shepard took a deep, shuddering breath and clutched her Lover Memory stone in her hand, not brave enough to look at the color. She did however, think of her deep love for her mate…how much she loved him, and knew that his stone was turning vivid, cobalt blue. Raising a hand to wipe her tears, she took another deep, shuddering breath and composed her face, before moving to sit down across from Kaiden.

There was quiet for a few minutes, "It'll be a couple of hours before we reach the rendezvous point, Lia…" She looked at him, nodding absently. Kaiden frowned, and then tried again, "I wish you'd chosen to meet the Alliance ship in the Normandy, it wouldn't be such a long ride." Shepard shrugged, but said nothing and Kaiden frowned again, "and you wouldn't have had to buy this shuttle…."

Looking up, Lia saw the expression on Kaiden's face, he was trying to distract her, but he was complaining too. Shepard spoke softly, shrugging, "I wasn't about to get the Normandy close to an Alliance ship… not knowing they want her. There is no way I'm giving the Alliance my ship… and besides, the trip gives me a chance to compose myself."

Kaiden frowned, "I still don't understand why you won't just give the Normandy to the Alliance…they'd be able to use it a lot better than the people you left her with."

Angry and outraged, she kept her voice calm as she said, 'She's my ship, Allenko. And no matter what, when this is all done, I'll go back to my ship and use it to do what I have to do." Kaiden frowned and Lia shook her head, Kaiden would never understand. He was a true Alliance soldier; he would never question an order or think that he might know better. Shepard was a soldier, but she wasn't one for blind obedience; she knew right from wrong and had no qualms about ignoring any order that was not the right thing to do.

Both Kaiden and Shepard were quiet for the majority of the ride, both lost in their own thoughts.


	30. Scene 26

_**Sorry for the delay…I spent the weekend at the Castle in Muskogee, Ok for the Oklahoma Renaissance Faire and had a BLAST! Thanks again to Marie-Fan writer, my WONDERFUL beta! All mess ups are MINE…there are times I ignore her wonderful advice!**_

**CHAPTER BREAK**

"Commander?" Shepard stared out of the window of the shuttle, doing her best, as she had for the last two hours, to ignore Alenko. But this time, he didn't give up "Commander… we're on the final approach to the _George Bush_…."

Shepard nodded, "Fine, Alenko…."

Kaiden shifted, he was uncomfortable, but determined to fix this situation if she'd let him. "Lia… please… I know what I said…."

She turned on him, but not in anger. In true and proper command and said, "No. You don't **GET** to call me by my given name… that's reserved for friends and people I care about. You will call me Commander Shepard…. or, if my rank is stripped, you may call me _**Mrs. Vakarian**_. But you will never again call me by my given name. Not unless you somehow you earn back the respect and trust that you screwed off. Do you understand that, MAJOR?"

Shocked by her tone of voice and what she said, he could only snap to attention, "Yes Ma'am…."

Shepard stood, picking up her bag, preparing to leave the shuttle. She heard the airlock engage and when the door slid open she was faced with a contingent of marines and, to her surprise, Admiral Anderson. She couldn't help the grin that spread across her face as she exclaimed, "Anderson! I didn't know you were meeting me! How have you been?"

Admiral Anderson stepped up and took her hands, pulling her into a hug as he said, "Shepard… damn, it's good to see you… how are you?"

"I'm good, Anderson… they sent you to take me into custody? I thought the human ambassador to the council would be much too busy to attend to such a human-centric issue?"

"Some of us are taking your warnings seriously, Shepard…I resigned as the Ambassador and moved back to Earth to help prepare the Alliance for the Reapers…." Anderson caught sight of Alenko and offered his hand, "Kaiden… sorry, I didn't see you there. Welcome back… what the hell happened to your face, boy?"

Shepard refused to look at Alenko, but heard him say, "just normal wear and tear, Admiral… I was working out and mistimed a hit. Permission to go to my quarters, Admiral?"

Anderson looked between Kaiden and Shepard, then said, "Permission granted, son… go relax…." As soon as he left, Anderson gave Shepard a strange look, "come on, Shepard, I'll show you to your quarters…."

She smirked, "I'm not in the brig?"

Anderson laughed, "No… it was a tight thing, but I managed to get you put up in a VIP cabin on the _George Bush_ until we reach Earth. I won't lie to you, though… it's going to be tight…."

Shepard nodded, shouldering her bag and falling into step with Anderson as she said, "So…can you fill me in on the situation?"

Anderson looked serious, then shrugged and said, "The baterians want blood…preferably yours but any human's will do. The Alliance is stuck, we can't handle a war with them right now, but we can't hand you over to them. We need your expertise and for you to advise on the reaper threat. Of course, a lot of people say the Reapers are just a way for you to save your own ass. On top of everything, the Alliance had itself convinced that you'd be handing over the Normandy, and a lot of them are saying that fact that you haven't is proof you're still with Cerberus." Anderson cast her a considering look, "I have to admit, Shepard, that concerns me as well. Not that I think you're still with Cerberus, that's just absurd… I believe you told the Illusive man to kiss your ass…but why not turn the Normandy over? The scientific advances alone would have been enormous…."

Shepard shrugged, "That's why I send the blueprints and schematics, Anderson…."

He shrugged, "Would have shown more faith in the Alliance…."

She smirked and barked a really non-humorous bit of laughter, "Anderson, present company excluded, the majority of the Alliance have spent the last three years denying the dangers and painting me as a mad woman. I don't _HAVE_ a lot of _FAITH_ in them…."

Anderson cleared his throat, he couldn't argue that point, but he continued, "None the less. It would have shown that you were interested in working with them."

Shepard shrugged, "Honestly, I have a lot of people depending on me and their home is the Normandy. The fact is, no matter how this plays out, unless they kill me, I'll need that ship to gather support to fight the reapers…."

Anderson looked at her askance, "Shepard, you already planning for the worst case scenario?"

She laughed again, "As someone I care very deeply about says, _always expect the worst, that way you're never disappointed, but occasionally you may pleasantly surprised_."

Anderson nodded, "Sounds like a wise a man…. Ok, Shepard… here we are. Let's go inside and talk about the rest." He looked at her nervously, then went on, "I'm sorry, but you _do_still have to have a guard on you 24/7. My word could only go so far…."

Shepard nodded, "It's better than I was expecting… Thank you, sir… for believing in me enough to stand up for me…."

Anderson waved that off, "Believe it or not, Shepard… there are a lot of us who believe you… and we're doing our damndest to get Earth ready for the Reapers."

Shepard entered the quarters ahead of Anderson and tossed her bag on the bed, before taking a seat and continued their conversation, "So…the baterians want my blood, the majority of the Alliance think I'm insane at best or some kind of terrorist at worst, the Council can't interfere in a purely human situation… and small pockets of people believe me and are trying to prepare for the Reapers. Do I have that right?"

Anderson chuckled, "Yep, that's about it. Shepard, I'm sorry, but I have to ask for your weapons…."

Shepard nodded, pulling her sidearm from her holster and handing it to him, then removing the knife sheath from her ankle and opened her bag to take out the rest of the weapons.  
>"I expected nothing less…."<p>

Anderson called a marine in and handed him Shepard's weapons. Noticing the stone, Anderson asked, "Is that a weapon, Shepard?"  
>Shepard shook head, "Nope…just a stone… it was a gift. I'm sorry, Anderson…but you'll have to kill me to get this from me."<p>

Anderson gazed at her, "A gift, huh? Must have come from a pretty special person…."

Shepard looked from Anderson to the attending Marine then back, giving him a pointed look. Anderson turned to the Marine and said, "Dismissed…." As the Marine saluted and left, he turned to Shepard and said, "Ok… he's gone… now care to explain, Shepard?"

Gazing around the room, she answered his question with one of her own, "Are there listening and recording devices in here, Anderson?" She met his eyes squarely. Anderson looked surprised, then frowned,

"You've been around Cerberus too long, Shepard… do you think that the Alliance would put listening devices in its own VIP quarters?"

Shepard continued to look at him, "That's not a "no", Anderson…."

He looked exasperated, "Then I'll say it clearly, Shepard. **NO**. There are no listening or recording devices in this room, or on my person. Feel more secure?"

Shepard nodded, "Thank you sir. The gift is from…" she blushed and looking at her feet finished "my husband."

If she'd have stripped down to her underwear and begun to sing and dance, he couldn't have been more shocked. He staggered a bit as he grabbed the back of his chair, and then sat down hard. "Good lord, Shepard… warn a man before you give him a heart attack, will you? Did you say _husband_?" And of its own accord, his eyes moved toward the door in the direction that Kaiden Alenko had gone. When he looked back, he realized that Shepard was aware of what he'd thought and gave him a small smile as she said,

"Wrong man, Anderson… Major Alenko is definitely not my husband."

Frowning again, noticing he seemed to frown a lot more when he was around Shepard, he asked, "Then who, Shepard? And before you tell me that it's your personal business…."

Shepard interrupted him, "I wouldn't do that, Anderson… you're like family to me and believe me when I tell you that if it had been possible, I'd have had you there. As it was, we stopped off on a planet en route to this meeting and went through the ceremonies…."

"CerimonIES? As in, plural? Who the hell did you marry, Shepard?"

"Garrus Vakarian."

Anderson frowned, "Vakarian? The turian?" He glanced at Shepard and saw her standing still, her face a mask. Hesitating, he changed what he was going to say and went with a kinder voice, "Do you love him, Shepard?"

Looking surprised, she'd expected him to react negatively, so his question threw her off balance and she simply answered him honestly, "Yeah…yeah I do, Anderson."

Anderson watched her; he'd always prided himself as a man who could read people. The way her faced changed when she spoke of Vakarian, told him a lot. Her face softened, her voice lowered, her eyes lit up. "So… married, huh? I take it that's not something you want bandied about?"

Shepard sighed, "Honestly? I don't care who knows. I'd like to shout it from the rooftops. BUT, I don't want this crap to cause Garrus any problems."

"And how does Vakarian feel about it?"

Shepard grinned, "He'd rather be here with me, on my six… And to be honest, I'd rather have him here. But that's not feasible right now. He's on his way to Palavan, we need everyone on board to fight the Reapers… and Garrus is my best hope in getting the turians ready."

He nodded, "A soldier, first and foremost…."

She smiled, "I had a good teacher, sir…."

Anderson chuckled, "So…what else do you have your people doing?"

Shepard got up and began to pace in small, concentric circles, "Gathering support; from every connection, every species, every planet, every colony. If any of us are to survive this we need everyone on the same page. Anderson, I don't mind telling you, I'm scared. The Reapers are bigger, stronger and they don't give a crap about anything except destroying all sentient life in this galaxy. If we can't…" her voice faded off and she looked tense. Anderson nodded, leaning back in his chair as he said,

"I know, Shepard…and trust me, there are those of us who really believe you, and we're all doing everything we can to get ready. And it sounds like you've got a lot of others working to garner as much help as you can…."

Shepard nodded, and sighed as she sat down, resting her elbow on the table and her chin in her hand, she looked at Anderson and said, "Yeah… I won't lie to you, some of the people are… less than military. But this isn't just about saving the military; when the Reapers come, they'll kill everyone. Men, women, children, civilians, military…everyone."

Anderson rested his hands on the table, and Shepard was reminded for a moment of Thane. "I know, Shepard…believe me, I know. That's why I left the council… the other ambassadors, they seem to think this is just a human problem… as though the Reapers will come in, destroy humanity and leave. None of them seem to grasp that every single species is in danger here."

Shepard shook her head, "If they don't get their heads out of their asses, everyone, including their own people, will die. That's why I've got people going to the planets. Palavan, Thessia, the Migrant Fleet… If the ambassadors won't listen, maybe the people on the planets will."

Anderson laughed, a short, bitter sound, "Not likely… at least not the governments."

Shepard nodded, "Which is why we're not only going for the governments…the actual citizens need to know, so that they can put pressure on their governments. I trust my people… if there is help to be found, if there is a way to convince the masses, they'll find it."

Anderson watched her carefully, "And your…husband?"

Shepard sighed, "Garrus is on his way to Palavan. He'll do everything he can… and trust me, that's a lot." Anderson noticed that she was idly rubbing the stone in her hand and that it had changed from a dark blue, to a deep, cobalt blue. Anderson frowned,

"So… tell me what that stone does?" It was Shepard's turn to start, but she answered openly enough,

"It's a bit like a mood stone… Garrus has the other half of the stone and," she looked down, smiled as she noticed the color, "my half changes color depending on his mood, what he's thinking, that sort of thing. His half changes color too, depending on what I'm feeling. It's not communication, exactly… more like… err…."

Anderson looked away, her face when she looked at that stone was too personal, even for him. And he was the closest thing to a father Shepard had: "sending love?"

Shepard looked up, still smiling, and noticed that Anderson was looking out the porthole, "Yeah… like a mood telegram."

Anderson gathered himself, standing up and smiled as she stood and snapped to attention, "At ease, Shepard… remember, you're not in the Alliance right now… I'll leave you to settle in… do you want me to ask Kaiden to stop by when…."

"No."

Anderson raised his eyebrows, she wasn't usually one to interrupt him, "Something I need to know, Shepard?"

She shook her head, "Nothing I can't handle, sir… but I'd prefer not to deal with Alenko anymore than I have to."

Anderson was curious, but finally nodded, "Fine… I'll send one of the marines to you then… he'll be the head of your protection detail…."

"My jailers, you mean?"

Anderson looked at her, and she felt ashamed when she saw the disappointment in his face, "I'd hoped you'd see them less like jailers and more like protection…."

"I'm sorry, Anderson… I guess I'm a little on edge. I am thankful for your intervention… I know that by rights, I should be in the brig."

Anderson nodded, placing a hand on her shoulder as he said, "We'll work it out, Shepard…. Oh, by the way, Admiral Hackett wants to speak with you once we're back with the fleet." Anderson wasn't a fool: he saw the way her face shut down into cool professionalism when he'd mentioned Hackett. It did more to confirm that she'd been working under orders than anything else. Sighing, he said, "Rest well, Shepard…I'll come by and talk to you later."

She nodded, waiting until Anderson had left before she moved to the bed and sank down, holding the Mood Stone close to her face, whispering, "I miss you so much, Garrus…."

**CHAPTER BREAK**

A knock sounded on the door of her quarters and Shepard looked up from the pad she was reading. She wasn't allowed external communication, but Anderson had provided her with some books to read while the ship made its way to Earth. Shepard sat in one of the arm chairs in the cabin, idly rubbing the Love/Mood Stone in her fingers as she set the pad down and called, "Enter!"

The door slid open and a marine stepped inside. For a moment Shepard thought she was seeing a Krogan, but realized it was just a massively muscled human male. The marine snapped off a salute and Shepard smiled,

"At ease, Marine… but you're not supposed to salute me, remember?"

The big man grinned and Shepard felt herself grinning back, liking this man immediately. "Sorry, Commander… my name is Vega… James Vega. I'm your protection detail…"

Shepard grinned, "You're not supposed to call me that, James… but nice to meet you…."

James Vega shrugged his massive shoulders, "No offence, Commander… but if these pendejos don't like it, they can kiss it… you've been out there trying to save the galaxy whether they like it or not… and as far as I can see… you're a hero…."

Shepard smiled at him, "Thanks, Vega… glad to hear some people have confidence with me."

"I'd like to ask you a question, Commander?"

"Shoot"

"I hear that you've got other people out there trying to round up support… that true?"

"Yep… my team is concentrating on gathering support to fight the Reapers when they get here… or at least warn other governments that they're coming. What about you, James? You believe that the Reapers are on their way, or do you think I'm just nuts?"

Vega looked at her a long moment, then shrugged his massive shoulders and said, "The last person who said you were nuts in front of me went to the hospital with a vid screen embedded in his head. I was on Fehl Prime when the Collectors hit… I saw those things you were trying to warn people about and people called you loco about them. You say the Reapers are coming… they're coming. And I'll do whatever it takes to defeat them." Vega watched her for another few seconds then gave her a slow, flirty grin as he continued, "Guess what I'm saying, Commander… is I got your back…. and the view aint to terrible."

Shepard laughed out loud, she knew his flirting was just part of who he was, a way to cover his real feelings. Garrus used sarcasm, Joker used humor and Vega flirted. Shaking her head, she said, "Good to know, James… good to know."

**CHAPTER BREAK**

Garrus sat in his quarters holding a pillow from their nest, his face buried in it, inhaling her scent. He keened, on every level as he looked at the stone on the table in front of him. He didn't want to pick it up feeling like this; putting more pressure on Lia was not acceptable. She couldn't help his emotions, couldn't protect him from them and having her know how deeply he was mourning was not going to help her. He watched his stone, though, as it went from a deep, dark brown, almost black with the occasional flare of bright red. They had done some pretty extensive testing, so Garrus was aware that the brown was hurting, missing him, the black was depression and the red was pure anger. Considering what he knew about Alenko, he figured that was understandable. He watched the stone intently, and saw it slowly change to blue, then deep cobalt blue. His keening lessoned.

For a Bondmated Turian, being separated from a Bondmate was unpleasant, but bearable. Turians were military based society; separation was necessary at times. However, this wasn't just a temporary mission where he had some knowledge that his mate would be back at his side soon. The face remained that there was a chance, however small, that Lia would be sentenced to death. The crew of the Normandy had, of course, made a contingency plan in the event that happened. They would make damn sure that they saved her before it was carried out, outlaws or not. But, at best she was going through, Spirits knew what, alone. She was far away from him with no timetable on reuniting. Added to that, their Bondmating was relatively new… and Garrus was miserable.

Gathering his wits and reining-in his emotions, he picked up his stone and concentrated on how much he loved his Bondmate… how deeply he felt about her, how much he wanted her and he knew her stone was turning cobalt blue. Garrus stood, moving to set her pillow back in their nest, still absently rubbing his stone, he turned and exited the cabin. They had less than 24 hours before they entered orbit around Tuchunka to drop off Grunt. Jack and Mordin were already gone; having met up a transport just after Shepard had left. Samara was gone too, and Thane was ready to be dropped off on the Citadel after they left Tuchunka. Many of the crew had decided to stay with the Normandy, but those that weren't, were disembarking on the Citadel. They'd go to Palavan after they left the Citadel to drop him off, then Miranda would be using the Normandy to gather forces, fetch and carry crew, including Kasumi and Zaeed, who were remaining on board, but would be making trips to help with the cause.

As he entered the CIC, he nodded at the Yeoman, who nodded her tear stained face at him. He made his way the cockpit. Joker glanced at him, "hey Garrus…eta to Palavan is 3 days. Do you want us to drop you anywhere special?"

Garrus looked past Joker at the stars speeding by and he replied "Naw… just the main spaceport… I'll get my own transport from there. You good working with Miranda?"

Joker snorted, "Don't you mean her workin for ME? After all, Shepard did leave me the Normandy…. Wait, that didn't sound right… I'm sorry!" Joker freaked out when he realized it sounded like he thought Shepard wasn't coming back. Garrus chuckled,

"I get it, Joker…don't worry…."

"But anyway… yeah, I can handle Miranda. Course, it's easier if she just bends over and doesn't say anything, ya know?"

Edi spoke, "Good morning Miranda…."

And Joker twirled around so fast he nearly knocked Garrus over. Knowing that Miranda wasn't on the bridge, he'd have heard and scented her, he gave a quiet chuckle at the terror on the pilot's face as Edi said,

"That… was a joke, Jeff…."

Garrus left the cockpit as Joker complained to Edi about her nearly giving him a heart attack and almost making him break a bone when he swung around. He was still chuckling when he reached Mordin's empty lab and through that the Communication room. He stood there in silence for a while, gazing at the communication device. Then he sighed and headed to the Armory. Jacob looked up when he entered and grinned, but said nothing except "Hey Garrus…you ok?"

The turian nodded, "Yeah… you getting things together, Jacob?"

Jacob nodded, "Yeah, I'm heading out right after you… I've got a few contacts that I think will help… Miranda wasn't thrilled, but she understands."

Garrus nodded again, "Yeah…trust me, I get it. Do I want to know where you're heading?"

Jacob frowned, and then shook his head, "No… you don't. Just trust me when I say that I'm going to get as much support as I can."

Garrus nodded and walked toward the door back to CIC, "Good… we need all we can get."

Jacob's next words were quiet, but resounded in Garrus' chest, "Yeah… and we're not going to let Shepard down…."

Garrus rode the elevator down to the Crew Quarters, he was hesitant. Finally making a decision, he headed into the med-bay to speak to Dr. Chakwas. To his surprise, she was packing a bag, "I thought you were remaining with the ship, Doc?"

Chakwas smiled at him over her shoulder and said, "I was, Garrus… but something has come up that's simply too good to pass up. If this works out, I'll be able to garner more support from the Alliance…."

Garrus looked at her and said, "The Alliance?"

Chakwas turned and said, leaning against the desk, "Yes… I've been on an extended leave of absence, but I've had an offer to work at the Citadel. The people I will be working with are some of the top Alliance medical and scientific minds. I know that I can explain everything to them and make them see sense… so when needed, we'll have more support from that quarter."

Garrus nodded, "Ok doctor… did you tell Miranda you were leaving?"

"Of course Garrus… and I was simply waiting for you to get here to tell you…."

Garrus moved his mandibles into the turain equivalent of a frowned, "waiting for me?"

She smiled, amused as she said, "I figured you'd take over her rounds… so I knew you'd be here eventually…."

Garrus hadn't thought of it that way… still frowning, He wondered if people would mind him "taking over her rounds." But Chakwas smiled, "Don't overthink it, Garrus… just go talk to people. You're her mate… and since she _can't_ be here, you must be…."

Garrus started back to the AI-Core, but the doctor stopped him, "He's not there, Garrus… he left some time ago."

Garrus frowned, "Without saying anything…?"

"Apparently, he didn't feel the need to say goodbye."

Garrus continued to walk around the ship after he left the med-bay, heading to Life Support to see Thane. As expected the drell was packed and sitting quietly at the table; he looked up when Garrus walked in and nodded, but said nothing. Garrus cleared his throat, "We're heading to the Citadel as soon as we drop Grunt off… and as soon as Shepard is back, we'll come pick you up. You've still got that emergency contact number Shepard gave you, right? In case something important comes up?"

Thane extended his head in a nod, "I do… and should I find anything exculpatory, you can be sure I will use it. Do you expect to hear from Siha during her… incarceration?"

Garrus shook his head, "No… she said that it's likely they'll keep her incommunicado. But the trial should be on the Vids…. I hope it doesn't come to it, but if they convict her or do something else…."

"Then you will gather her crew and we will remedy the situation, Officer Vakarian."

Garrus nodded at Thane, meeting his eyes and the two, though not friends, had a moment of pure mental connection. If necessary, they would walk through hell itself to rescue Shepard… for the same reason. Garrus nodded, "Ok… if I don't see you before, be careful and good luck with your son…."

Thane acknowledged his sentiment and then Garrus left, heading for Miranda's office. He knocked, and thought he heard her voice, so he opened the door only to find the calm, cool "Cerberus bitch" sitting in a pile of papers and upturned furniture with tears falling from her eyes. Shocked, Garrus said the first thing that came to mind, "Miranda… do we need to form a squad and take someone out?"

Despite herself, Miranda gave a harsh chuckle, "No, but thank you Garrus… the thought is… appreciated. I'll be fine… I just need some time to… come to terms with a few things."

Garrus looked around the destruction that had been her office and hesitated, Shepard would know what to say here, but he was not Shepard. Slowly, he decided on, "Ok, Miranda… if you change your mind, let me know… we can probably keep Grunt a few more days, he like to beat things up… and Miranda?" She looked up at him, making a strong effort to hide her tears, but said nothing, so he went on, "I never doubted for a minute you'd be ok… You're probably the second strongest woman I've ever met… but if you need to talk, I'm still in the loft…."

Miranda nodded, and Garrus turned, trying not to appear to be rushing as he left the room. His next stop, after a quick break in the Main Battery to check the calibrations of the guns… and catch his breath, was Kasumi's quarters. He'd been here before, a time or two, since her quarters were the only ones with a bar. But he'd rarely spent much time talking to the tiny little thief with the big love of gossip and the unfailing positive attitude. Today she sat on the couch, staring at the stars through the window. He figured she knew he was there, but he said nothing until she did,

"Garrus… I hate change, you know? And even though I knew this was happening… I guess I'd just kidded myself that we could go on the way we were."

Garrus nodded, he knew that feeling. Feeling suddenly tired, he said, "Yea… but things change… and we have to change with them. Right now, we have to prepare for the Reapers. You have any plans?"

Now the diminutive thief smiled at him, "A few… I'm getting off the ship on the Citadel… I have a few things to… err… pick up. But I won't be gone long… once I'm back, I'll have a better idea of where to look for what we need. I know you're heading to Palavan… are you sure that's a good idea?"

Garrus shrugged, "My people need to be made aware of the danger as much as anyone else… maybe they'll listen. Maybe they won't. But I won't let Shepard down by refusing to try."

Kasumi nodded, "She's the type of woman who just makes you WANT to be better, no?"

Garrus smirked, "Yeah… but she's never asked of her crew what she's not willing to do herself… that's part of the reason why everyone follows her."

Kasumi rose to her feet gracefully and moved to Garrus, before he could understand her intentions, she hugged him. Garrus stood stiffly, not used to the human desire for closeness… well, not outside his mate, anyway. But eventually, she raised his talons and patted her awkwardly on the back. She stood back, smiled and said, "We're going to win this, Garrus… I feel it…."

Garrus nodded, he hoped she was right, though he had his worries. But Shepard was right, people needed to believe in something and for Kasumi, she needed to believe it would all go back to the way it was before. Nodding, he turned to leave, as Kasumi picked up her late partner's grey box and lost herself in the memories.

Entering the elevator, Garrus headed for the engineering deck. His first stop was Tali, who was quietly sniffling as she worked on the engines. Garrus sighed, "Tali…it's going to be all right." Tali didn't start, or really move, but she said, her voice hoarse,

"Yeah, Garrus… of course it will be…."

Hesitating, he asked, "Do you want to talk, Tali?"

But she shook her head firmly, "I'm in the middle of cleaning this engine before I finish packing… but, thank you for asking. Kal and I will be going back to the Flotilla from the Citadel…." For the first time in this conversation, she looked like Tali his friend, instead of just Tali, his crewmate. "You'll contact me if… anything changes?"

Garrus nodded, "Definitely… you'll be the first I call."

Tali looked like she was going to say something else, but instead, she turned back to the engine, "I really need to get this done, Garrus…."

"Ok… I hope I'll see you before you leave…." A noncommittal noise was his only response. Garrus stopped to chat a moment with the two engineers, then moved out of the door and headed to Grunt's room.

"Garrus… I don't understand why the Battlemaster just went with the puppy boy… she didn't even fight!" Grunt looked so upset, that Garrus sighed and leaned against the rail. He hadn't intended to stay long, but it looked like their "teenage krogen" was going to require some parental input.

"Grunt… sometimes there are things in life that require more than a head-butt to make them work."

Grunt looked at him as though Garrus had grown another head. Sighing he went on,

"Sometimes, you have to do things you don't want to do get something important done. That's what Shepard's doing… she didn't want to leave, but she feels that if she goes to the Alliance, she'll have the opportunity to convince them that the Reapers are a threat. If she hadn't gone, the Alliance and the baterians might have started a war… and that would have weakened them both for the Reapers."

Grunt frowned, and then said, his voice softer than Garrus had ever heard it, "So the Battlemaster… she didn't want to leave us?"

Suddenly Garrus had a thought, incredulous though it was, he thought maybe, just maybe, this strong, deadly Krogan might be feeling slightly abandoned. What was it Shepard had called it with Urz? Separation Anxiety? "No, Grunt… she didn't want to leave any of us… she would rather have stayed here, with all of us on the Normandy and did what we do best… but she had to do something she really didn't want to in order to get the best possible outcome in the coming war."

"I miss her…."

At first, Garrus wasn't sure he'd actually heard right, but one look at the young Krogan's face and he knew he had. He stood and walked over to the Krogen, placing a hand on the massive shoulder and said, "She misses you too, Grunt… but we all have to do things we don't want to in this war… we have to follow Shepard's example the same way we followed her into battle. Head high, knowing that we're doing the right thing."

Grunt appeared to be thinking about things, then he turned and headed for the back of his quarters, "Thank you, _Karto_… you've helped me understand. I do not like this, but I will do everything in my power to make sure that Shepard receives all the Krogen support she can."

Garrus nodded, "That's good, Grunt… Shep… Your Battlemaster will be proud." He filed the word that Grunt had called him away, intending to ask Wrex about it if the opportunity arose. He left Grunt's quarters, shaking his head as the Krogan began to decimate a practice dummy in the corner.

Garrus' final stop was Zaeed's quarters, and he knew enough from Lia's comments to knock…loudly. "If ur comin in, come in… I aint got all bloody day…." Garrus hesitated, the older Merc sounded out of sorts. Maybe he was missing Jack, Garrus thought… those two had been thick as thieves ever since… Garrus shuddered, that was not a memory he EVER intended to review. But he entered the Merc's domain and found him working on the old Rifle. Urz sat in the corner, on a couple of pillow Zaeed had obviously put down for him. Glancing up at him, Zaeed grinned, but it was more a grimace as he said, "Don't tell me… you're steppin into her shoes?"

Garrus shook his head, "Not even close… nobody can step into her shoes. I'm just making sure everyone has their plans set…."

Zaeed nodded, looking down at the rifle as he said, "Yeh… I've got a few calls into a few _old friends_. We'll see what I can rig up before she's back where she belongs…. You holdin in, Birdyman?"

Garrus winced at the nickname, but nodded, "As much as I can… with a Shepard shaped hole in my soul…." Garrus hadn't intended to say that, but there was a strange feeling that Zaeed would understand. Sure enough, Zaeed nodded,

"I aint gonna say it gets easier… but you at least'll get her back… hold on to that thought, cause theres gonna be a lot of long… lonely nights for a while…." Sighing, Garrus turned to leave, saying,

"Yeah, I get that… you sure you'll be ok with Urz? I can send him down with Grunt if he's going to be too big a problem…."

Zaeed tossed the Varren a piece of jerky, which the Varren caught, and put down between his "paws", but didn't eat. Instead, the Varren put his massive head on his front paws and sighed, and Garrus walked over to scratch the Varren's spikes, "Yeah, boy… I know the feeling… but she'll be back…."

Urz looked up at him, wiggled slightly, and then lay back down. As Zaeed said,

"He'll make it… hell, we all'll bloody make it, Garrus… just keep on holdin on…."

Nodding, Garrus turned to leave, heading back to his quarters and his empty nest. Part of him wanted to be anywhere BUT there… so many memories and scents. But those same memories and scents were what drew him back. If he couldn't have her, at least maybe he could have that… at least until Palavan.


	31. Scene 27

Shepard lay on her bed, idly rubbing her mood stone as it shone a vivid cobalt blue as she read an honest to god, paper and ink book. The sound of her door opening had her raising her eyes and she saw James Vega, with his normal grin. "Hey Commander… you've got a visitor…."

Frowning, Shepard marked her place in the book and sat up, "A visitor? Sullivan?"

James Vega grinned wider and said, "Nope, not your rep; wanna keep guessing?"

Shepard stood up, giving the mood stone in her hand one more glance before raising it to rest on her forehead and then sliding it into her pocket, "Naw… let's just go see who it is, shall we?"

Vega stood back, so that she could precede him out the door, falling into step beside her as he said, "I gotta tell you, Shepard… you got some strange compadres…."

Shepard glanced at him, seeing his grin widen even further, and wondered who the hell was here. She'd been in Alliance custody for almost a month and had been held incommunicado the entire time. No outside contacts, no letters, no calls, no visits with anyone other than her representative, various Alliance people, or the occasional doctor or psychologist. As they rounded the corner, she saw two Alliance Marines in full uniform standing at parade rest on either side of the door to the conference room. She glanced at Vega, who shrugged, still grinning, and walked forward.

The two marines went from parade rest to attention and while they didn't salute her, it was obviously a close thing. She heard Vega's chuckle and glanced back at him, to find him resting against the wall opposite the door. She raised an eyebrow and he smirked and said, "Naw, I'm good… you have fun."

The doors opened and Shepard walked in, then froze, gasping. Sabina Vakarian was sitting at the table, hands folded and looking calm. Shepard felt a surge of joy, "Matera!" she rushed over to the turian female sitting at the table and then hesitated, glancing around. "What… is Garrus ok? Please Matera, tell me he's ok…!"

Sabina Vakarian stood, taking her 'daughter' in her arms and said, "As far as I know, Filia, Garrus is fine… I'm not here about my son… I am here to check on my daughter…." Without hesitation, she reached out and drew Shepard into her arms, holding her tightly. Lia hesitated, then decided it didn't matter… she was so happy to see Sabina, and it felt so good to be held by someone who loved her. She returned the embrace strongly, burying her face in Sabina's cowl, trying to hide the tears that overflowed her eyes and fell down her face.

A few moments past, and Sabina simply held her daughter, allowing her son's Bondmate to cling to her. Finally, she put Lia a few inches from her and gazed into her eyes, "Are you well, Filia?"  
>Shepard nodded, wiping her eyes as discreetly as possible, standing up straight, but not moving away from Sabina. Then she reached out and took Sabina's arms, gently pushing her into a chair,<p>

"Sit down, Matera… should you be this far from Da'La? What are the doctor's saying?"

Sabina shook her head; it was just like her daughter to be more worried about her than herself. She sat, however, and pulled Shepard into a chair close to hers.

"Filia… when Garrus told us what you had done… we were shocked. I understand that you are an honorable woman, but this is not an honorable charge… you were under orders…."

Shepard interrupted her, "Matera, that's not something we can discuss here… I made the decision, no matter the situation, I made the final call that cost over 300,000 batarian's their lives and I'll answer for it."

Sabina gazed at this beloved and very stubborn child, then sighed and said, "I know Filia… and we are proud of you. You are a very good Turian in that respect. I also understand that you are attempting to get the humans of earth on board for to prepare for the Reapers… the batarian as well, I'd guess. However, you must stop thinking you are alone in this… to that end, I have come as a temporary representative of the Hierarchy."

Now Shepard looked confused, but put that off for a moment, before saying, "Matera, you've ignored my question… how are you feeling?"

Sabina cast a glance to the ceiling, "Spirits, you're every bit as stubborn as the rest of our family."

But Shepard's gaze never wavered and Sabina knew that she would have to answer, so she breathed deeply and gazed into her filia's eyes as she said, "The news is… not good, Filia." The treatments have had a wonderful and positive effect up to now… but we've always known it wasn't a cure… at least not for one as far into the disease as I am. The doctors say I have been in remission…." Shepard mentally prepared herself, though not biologically Sabina's, she felt as though she were part of her. So Sabina's next words were hard to swallow, "but that is showing signs of coming to an end. There are… indications, that the disease is becoming active once more."

Shepard felt her eyes fill with tears again, this time not happy ones. She went to her knees and buried her face in her hands, resting on Sabina's knees. "Then we'll find another treatment… there has to be…."

Sabina rested a hand on Shepard's head, stroking her hair before she said, "No, Filia… there are no more treatments. The doctors at Da'La assure me that they can control the worst of the symptoms; the pain, the anger and such. But in the end, which is not too far off, I will retreat into my own world, in my own mind and then my organs will shut down… and I will pass to the Spirits."

Now Shepard did sob, and Sabina simply held her, whispering to her soothingly and stroking her hair. Eventually, Shepard's tears slowed and Sabina took her chin and raised her face so that they were looking eye to eye. Shepard saw the quiet courage that she fervently hoped that she would have if faced with another death. "Matera… I don't know what to say. Should you be traveling to Earth? Wouldn't it have been better to go directly to Palavan?"

Sabina shrugged, "my daughter is on Earth, thus I came here. And my trip is not merely personal; I had business to do here. But Palavan is my next stop. I could not die, however, without seeing you one last time…."

"How long?" Shepard's voice was hoarse and Sabina smiled,

"Not long… a few weeks… two months if I am very, very lucky; long enough to put my affairs in order. We have arranged for Solana to be mated…."

Shepard smiled, "That's wonderful! Is she happy with the choice?"

Sabina nodded, smiling "Yes… she would have mated with Chellick sooner had I not required so much care."

Shepard frowned, "Chellick as in…."

"Yes… Solana has been close to him for many years… but my illness put a hold on any mating. Now that my time is close, Solana will once more be free to fulfill her duties; both as a wife and a citizen of the Hierarchy."

Shepard smiled, "I'm glad for her…" and she hesitated, wanting to ask the question that had plagued her, but still worried that his relationship with her might cause him problems. She was shocked however, when Sabina said,

"Do you still love my stubborn son, Filia?"

"God yes…" Shepard might have been embarrassed about the strength of her answer… if it hadn't been so true. "The only thing making this time bearable is knowing he's out there, safe…."

"He waits for you… he loves you and he will never stop waiting, Filia…."

Shepard felt her eyes fill with tears again and wiped at them before saying, "I love him too, Matera… but I couldn't stand it if he was hurt in some way because of me. He's my… my soul mate… my life. Please, tell me, is he… ok?"

Sabina considered briefly telling her no, that he was definitely not ok; that he mourned himself nearly ill without his mate. But since there was no way to change the current situation, and it was obvious that Shepard was just as desperately unhappy as Garrus, she nodded and said, "He is beside himself with grief at the separation from his Bondmate… and he works too hard. But he will, like you, persevere until the time comes for you to be reunited. He loves you Filia… his bond with you is one of the strongest I have ever seen, and I plead with you to never doubt that."

Shepard swallowed hard, "I will never doubt his love for me, nor will he doubt my love for him. We're… two halves of a whole. That's not right either, because even alone, we're both well rounded, complete people; but together, we're just… better. Does that make sense?"

Sabina nodded, "More than you know, Filia."

A Marine put his head in the door and said, almost apologetically, "You have only a minute left, I'm sorry ma'am…." Both Shepard and Sabina nodded at him and Sabina began to gather herself, but before she rose, she gathered her daughter's face in her hands and said,

"Filia… I doubt I will see you again… my end is coming soon. But know this, I will always be there for you… you will never be alone and you will ALWAYS be my filia… never think that with my death, ends you membership in this family. My husband and daughter may be a bit myopic, but they will never question this. You are the Bondmate of my son. You are a daughter of House Vakarian, your sister is Solana, your mother is Sabina and your father is Amantius Vakarian. This will not change… you are a Vakarian, a citizen of the Hierarchy and the bonded mate of Garrus Vakarian. Never doubt your place in this family, Filia."

Moved beyond anything she'd experienced in her life, Shepard could only nod and hug Sabina. Finally she found her voice and whispered, "Thank you, Matera… for giving me this family… and tell Garrus… please tell him I miss him… I love him… I…" her words trailed off and Sabina merely smiled,

"I will… and to tide you over until this foolishness is over…" she handed Shepard a handwritten letter and Shepard could have sworn that for just a moment, she smelled Garrus on it. Clutching it to her chest, she began to say she had nothing to send to Garrus, then stopped and said,

"Wait…." she strode to the door and leaned out, watching as the marines came to attention, hands on their weapons, "James… hurry to my room… get my journal…. MOVE"

James didn't question, just turned and ran. Shepard shut the door and turned back to Sabina, "I have a journal… I started writing… well, basically letters to people, mostly Garrus, every night. I knew I couldn't send them, but it helped me feel… close. I know that Garrus is doing what he can… can you tell me?"

Sabina continued gathering her things, but nodded, glancing at the door, "Garrus is doing everything he can to prepare our people for the coming attacks. He works hard, because he knows the stakes. Amantius has helped him as much as possible… he still has some connections."

Shepard nodded, moving to stand near Sabina, touching her. Sabina smiled in the Turian manner and rested a hand on her daughter's. "Listen to me, Filia… know that I love you. You've been the best thing that has ever happened to my son. And bringing you into our family has been his best decision."

The door opened and James tossed Shepard her journal, before backing out, and she turned to her mother, "there isn't anything in here that the Alliance will find to be protected information, they shouldn't give you a hard time… if they do, just… let it go. But if you can, give this to Garrus? Tell him… tell him…" but she ran out of words. Sabina simply took the journal and nodded, "I will give my son your message, Filia. Promise me you will be careful and take care of yourself? And do not mourn me too much, Filia… I have had a good life, a life of love, devotion, duty and enjoyment; I have few regrets. I am very happy that I these last treatments were able to give me enough time to meet and embrace my newest daughter." Sabina put the book in her folder, with several other papers and then turned to her human daughter and said, "May your life be blessed with fulfillment, both in duty and in love. May you never leave a task undone or a love un-said. And may the spirits bless you with a strong mate, a happy life and many children…."

Shepard swallowed, but couldn't speak, so she just hugged Sabina until the Marine stepped inside, "Ma'am it's time to go…."

Sabina nodded and Shepard found her voice, "I love you, Matera… if they give you problems with the journal…."

Sabina smiled knowingly, "They will not… for I am currently representing the Turian government."

Shepard frowned, "You never did tell me why you were here?"

Sabina smiled, hugging her daughter one last time and replied "To make sure these Alliance people know that you are a citizen of the Hierarchy and it is expected that you will be treated with the respect and care that any other citizen is treated with."

Shepard was dumbstruck but gave her one final touch of her forehead and turned to leave. Shepard looked down at the table; the only piece of paper remaining was an official looking document with the Hierarchy's letterhead. She glanced at it and read the first few lines; the Turian Hierarchy was demanding the return of their citizen, Lia Shepard-Vakarian. If the return was no possible, then proof must be provided that she was being treated with the respect due one of her position. Shepard clutched the paper to along with the letter from her mate to her chest and stood watching the door Sabina had disappeared out of until Vega stepped up to her, careful not to touch her, and said,  
>"Time to go back to your room, Commander…."<p>

She wasn't paying much attention, but responded, her voie almost a whisper, "You're not supposed to call me that anymore, James…." Vega said nothing, realizing the usual back and forth wasn't going to happen tonight. He simply accompanied her to her room and left her alone.

Sitting in the bathtub, the only real place she had for privacy, Lia re-read Garrus' letter for the hundredth time. It was short, but the emotions were so thick, he was a wonder the paper fit in the envelope.

"_**Lia, **_

_**Spirits how I miss you. When I found out that Matera was going to Earth on the Primarch's behest, I wanted to send something to you. But, once I sat down at this paper, I just couldn't find the words. There are too many, too deeply and too full of emotion to narrow them down to a few. I know that this letter will be read by untold eyes; Turian, Human… so I'll simply say that we're all doing what we can to get everyone ready for the Rs. I spoke to the cheerleader two days ago, and she told me that K and Z were onboard and had set up several meetings; I think she called the N a "carried pigeon" whatever that is. I heard from your Drell, he's got a few lines on some help and I guess he and his son had a big fight. They are apparently getting along better now. Sounds odd to me, but I guess Drell are different. Dr. C left the N… she had an offer that she felt was more beneficial than staying. Thank god the psycho isn't on the N. The Psycho and the Cheerleader on the N without a referee and no doc is a recipe for death and/or dismemberment. J and the N gave me a ride to my current location where I'm doing my best to streamline the defenses, so that when they come, we stand some kind of chance. Your menace is fine, I guess he and Z are bonding. **_

_**Spirits how I miss you, amica. It's like breathing, but not having oxygen… I'm going through the motions, doing what has to be done, but my I have Lia shaped holes in my heart and soul. Nothing will be right until you're back in my arms. And I'm telling you now, amica… once that happens, you're going to have a really hard time convincing me that you can go to the bathroom without me, let alone off the ship. I want to be there, watching your six so damned bad that it literally hurts. But, I know that we have to do this… I know why, and you'll be surprised at who we've got recruited when you get back to me.**_

_**I have to go, but know that I love you. I want you back in my arms in our nest, and until that happens, I'll dream of you and I hope you do the same….**_

_**Cor unum amica,**_

_**GV**_

_**Ka'herta jafcleet laspah amica**_


	32. Scene 28

"Damn it," Shepard muttered, clearing the information from her Omni Tool. She reset the program and put an x in the center box, typing _'ha. Your turn, James'_

'_No fair… you always take the middle….'_

'_RHIP, James… now are you going to make a mark, or give up?'_

Grumbling, James made his 'O' in the tic tac toe game, before typing, _'they still going on about shit?'_

Shepard managed to NOT sigh out loud, sitting in a meeting with the human representatives and a small contingent of batarians working out the details of her trial was probably not the best place to sigh. To be honest, it probably wasn't the best place to be playing tic tac toe with James Vega either… but a girl could only take so much bullshit. They'd put limitations on her Omni Tool… she could only use it to write in her journal or communicate with James, Anderson, Hackett or her legal representative Gale Sullivan. She was forbidden to even speak to her mother, which irritated her for no real reason; she hadn't ever been great at keeping in communication at the best of times. The reason given for the restrictions was "security," to "protect" her. The real reason, according to Anderson, was that they didn't want her calling in the Normandy for retrieval. She'd been irritated at that; she'd given her word that she would remain here, it wasn't like she was going to run. But apparently that wasn't something most of the politicians saw.

Shepard stretched as unobtrusively as possible, though her rep noticed and glanced at her, eyebrows raised. She shook her head, and this time she couldn't help but sigh. The back and forth was driving her nuts. Every time something was agreed on, two more things became issues. It had been close to six months, and she was _so_ over it. Six months of being stuck here on Earth, not able to do anything, no contact with her crew, no contact with _GARRUS_ and she was nearly driven insane. Her thoughts went back to her Love Stone, safe and wrapped up in a box in James' possession. When she'd first arrived, they insisted on taking the stone. She had refused. She was willing to give up anything else, but not the Stone. They'd been convinced it was a weapon, or a transponder, or something. They'd even tried removing it when she was out of the room; thus James now carried it on his person. It was the only connection she had to her mate and be damned if she was losing that.

Every night, she'd pick it up and hold it close; concentrating on how much she loved her mate, how much she needed him. At first, her Stone had returned the favor by going deep, cobalt blue often. Sometimes there was deep brown, or even red. However, in the last week or so, it hadn't changed colors much. It worried Shepard, but she convinced herself that Garrus was just busy; doing what he could to prepare Palavan. Unlike her, Garrus lacked the unlimited "leisure time" to sit around and mope.

Her representative tapped her arm and Shepard brought her attention back to the current situation and noticed the head of the Batarian Contingent, Kaff'Chon, was standing and yelling, his four eyes flashing with fury, "… this female is a mass murderer and a terrorist… and you are treating her as though she were a hero! We, the Hegemony, _**DEMAND**_ that this endless prattle be ended and Shepard be turned over to us to answer for her crimes!"

Shepard agreed with him on one thing; this 'endless prattle' was driving her nuts. Part of her wished that they'd get this show on the road. Her representative glanced at her, then stood up and said, "With all due respect to my esteemed opponent; Ms. Shepard hasn't been convicted of anything…."

The batarian snarled, "And if we could finish these absurd political arguments, we would be able to do so…."

Not allowing herself to be rattled, Sullivan continued, serenely, "… thus referring to her in those terms is defamatory and uncalled for."

Finally, Shepard was done. She missed her home, her crew and worse, she missed her mate. Every minute, every hour, every day that they wasted their time here, it was one less minute, hour and day they had to prepare for the Reapers. Shepard stood up, shocking the other 25 or so people in the room, including her own Rep, who hissed at her to sit down. "I agree with Kaff'Chon."

Gale Sullivan buried her face in her hands, and there was utter silence from everyone else. She caught sight of Admiral Hackett in the back and he looked like he'd just been smacked with a dead fish. As the silence became deafening, Shepard went on, "We've sat here for six long, useless months, talking about the color of the judges' robes, how many press to allow in, the order of the questioning… and every minute we keep wasting time here the Reapers are getting closer to _**all**_of our home worlds. And when they reach their destinations, if we aren't ready, every single man, woman and child will die. I mourn for the loss of the Bahak system and all the people who died. Whether you believe it or not, I wish every day that there had been another way to handle it. But their deaths saved billions of other lives… they died heroes, and to me, ignoring the fact that they saved billions of lives and that the bigger threat is coming cheapens their deaths…."

Kaff'Chon glared at Shepard and snarled, "Ah, yes… these mythical _REAPERS_… tell me _Commander_, do you have any _proof_ that these myths even exist?"

Shepard returned Kaff'Chon's glare with a calm, professional expression as she said, "Yes… and I've provided that proof. The Reapers exist, they are coming and they're only goal is to destroy every sentient, space faring species in the Galaxy. They're bigger, stronger and deadlier than any of us alone… the only way we can fight them, defeat them is to come together, as one force. Focusing your hatred and fear on me doesn't help you, it's keeping you from focusing on the REAL danger… if you continue to focus on me, your entire species is in danger of extinction."

There was silence for a few moments, then muttering filled the room. Kaff'Chon narrowed all four of his eyes seething with anger, "We are well aware that you still have people out there… are you _threatening_ my people?"

Shepard shook her head, "No, Kaff'Chon… I'm not threatening you. My people are trying to help get everyone ready to face the Reapers… to gather the forces we need to defeat the greatest threat this galaxy has faced in fifty thousand years. The threat to your people comes from the same source that threatens us all… the Reapers. Keep this up, keep trying to do what you feel is necessary to me… but please… please tell me that your people are at least preparing for the upcoming battle…."

The conversation was interrupted, as a batarian aide rushed up to Kaff'Chon and whispered something in his ear. The Batarian representative stared, an expression of panic on his face as and said, standing, "I apologize, there has been an… incident that I must see to personally." Without another word, and without waiting for permission, he strode from the room, his contingent hurrying to catch up with him.

Shepard turned to Sullivan, who was glaring at her and said, "You need to go find out what is happening… I need to talk to Anderson. Now."

_**CHAPTER BREAK**_

"You know, Shepard… you have a representative, you should let her speak FOR you… though I admit, your spin was pretty good."

Shepard waived her hand, dismissing his words even as she ignored Sullivan's glare. "Anderson… you need to check into this. Something bad is happening… do we have eyes on Khar'shan?"

Anderson hesitated, "Shepard… do you think…?"  
>She nodded and ignored the gasp from her representative as she said, "From his reactions, yes… I think the Reapers are here."<p>

Anderson cursed, roundly and pulled up his Omni Tool to try and contact someone. Sullivan cleared her throat, "Shepard… are you sure?"

Shepard sighed, "Yes… I wish I was wrong… but I know that this is the Reapers."

Before Anderson could get a response, Admiral Hackett walked in, accompanied by the Batarian Head Delegate Kaff'Chon. The batarian's expression was one of shocked horror with an undercurrent of fear. Hackett used his Omni Took to put a galaxy map on the wall, zooming in on Kites Nest, then to Harsa and finally to the Batarian home world, Khar-shan. As the image stilled, a live feed came on to the side. There were gasps from behind her, but Shepard just shook her head, Khar-shan was on fire… and the unmistakable site of a Reaper ship in orbit made her close her eyes.

Opening her eyes, Shepard cast a look at Kaff'Chon and saw that he was far paler than she'd ever seen him. His eyes were glued to the wall, watching his world burn. Hesitating, not sure what to say, or even if she should say anything at all, she glanced away from the batarian, and when she looked back, he was watching her with hooded, shadowed eyes. Before she could speak, he began, "Shepard… I am… I apologize. I would extend the apologies from the Hegemony…." He glanced at the images on the wall and frowned, "but as you can see… that would be speaking for the dead."

Shepard heard the mourning in his voice and said, softly, "I'm sorry… I wish I could find words to make this better… but I can't. I'm just so sorry…."

The batarian seemed surprised, but nodded, "thank you, Shepard. I… I would have expected a different response."

Shepard couldn't help it, her eyes were drawn to the destruction on the map as she continued in that soft voice, "Saying 'I told you so' seems a bit rude under the circumstances…."

Dragging his attention from the scene that had long since been burned into his mind, Kaff'Chon said, "Of course, we… I… remove are charges and demands against Shepard…. There seems to be little reason now. I would have you answer a question, if you would…."

Shepard nodded, "Of course…."

"How do we defeat them?"

Shepard sighed, glancing away, then looked back at the batarian and said, in her usual commanding tone, "You don't… not alone. The only way to destroy them to for everyone to work together."

Kaff'Chon sighed, that was about what he'd expected. He opened his mouth to speak, but a bright flash drew everyone's attention back to the image of his home world, just in time to see the bright flash take over most of the eastern continent, before a mushroom cloud formed. Another gasp and Shepard winced, turning to look at Kaff'Chon who seemed to be nearly on the verge of collapse. As she watched, however, he drew himself together, straightening up and said, "As soon as we've gotten any survivors, we'll gather whatever support we can and join up with you."

The Batarian turned sharply and left the room, and there was utter silence. Finally, Sullivan broke it when she said standing, "I guess you won't need me anymore, Shepard… so I'll be on my way. I'm sure there will be an in depth debriefing before I can leave…." She nodded to the three in the room, and then walked out.

Hackett turned to Anderson and said, "I need to get up to my fleets. They're not here now but they'll be here soon."

Anderson nodded, "True enough… and I need to talk to the Defense Council."

Shepard watched the two begin to leave and said, sarcastically, "I need to get back to my room and be useless… Unless you want to open up my Omni Tool so I can try to contact the Normandy? She could be a big help here…."

Anderson and Hackett both froze, and then turned to stare at Shepard, before Anderson said, hesitantly, "Shepard… it'll work out…." But Hackett just raised his Omni Tool and activated a few programs, then said,

"There…contact your people, Shepard…if this I is the Reapers…then I'm afraid your days of rest may be over…

Shepard grinned at them and said, waving her hand,

"Don't worry about me… I know that things are going to get busy very quickly. Let's just get this moving… we have to get Earth ready…" gesturing at the wall, Shepard finished bitterly, "or _THAT_ will be Earth."

There was a long moment in which all three battle hardened soldiers stared at the wall before they went their separate ways.

_**CHAPTER BREAK**_

"Vakarian…" Garrus snapped awake, moaning. He'd just closed his eyes, it seemed. The last week had been non-stop. He hadn't had time to sleep, eat or even send his love to his mate. Growling, Garrus snapped at the turian who entered the room,

"What is it?"

"The supply lines are set… everything seems to be running smoothly…."

Garrus frowned, sitting up and rubbing his face with his hands, then said "But?"

The other turian tightened his mandibles, confused, "but?"

Garrus sighed, part of him wanted to knock the young soldier into the wall, but he forced himself to stay calm and say, "I assumed that you wouldn't have disturbed me if everything was going fine…."

His subordinate hesitated, "There are reports…."

Garrus looked up, concerned, "Reports?"

"The batarian home world… the Reapers have destroyed it."

Garrus cursed, standing up and striding toward the door, gesturing to the younger turian to follow him, "Do we have confirmation? When did this happen? Have we gotten any notifications from our warning sensors?"

The younger Turian struggled to keep up with Garrus as they strode to the room that doubled as the command center for the temporary Reaper Taskforce headquarters on Menae, Palavan's moon. As they entered the room a loud snarl came from the direction of the vid screen and Garrus' eyes were drawn there. As he watched, a Reaper appeared and then another… and another. There was a keening wail coming from some of his people as they watched their planet being attacked.

"Garrus… they're… destroying everything!" Shalona, the only female in his crew butted up against him, and for the first time, he ignored it. She'd been trying to get him to "blow off steam" with her since she'd been added to his task force. He'd been trying, unsuccessfully, to get her transferred off ever since. But now, he just stared at his home as blossoms of orange erupted on the surface; fire and death from the planet's surface. He knew his team was in shock, so was he, but they had to **do** something.

"Ok… snap out of it. You all know what you're supposed to be doing… we've gone over this enough. Get to work. Julius, contact the Hierarchy, find out if they've set up a camp up here. Let them know we're ready to do what it takes." His people were well trained and snapped to attention, and went about their jobs. Garrus stalked over to Corphus, his communications officer, and said, "Any word about Earth?"

Corphus, an old friend of Garrus from boot camp, and one of the few who knew the whole story shook his head, "No, Garrus… I'm sorry. Just got word from the long range sensors… the batarian home world has fallen..."

Shaking his head, Garrus said, "Ok… let's get this show on the road."

Garrus turned and left the command center, heading to his quarters. He reached into the side table to add some ammo to his suit, and hesitated. Stopping he pulled off his gauntlet, sat on the edge of his bed and pulled out his mood stone, holding it in his hand, he concentrated on his mate… sending her his love as best he could. Along with that, though she'd never know it, he sent his prayers that she was safe. That she'd stay that way and even if he didn't, that she'd live and be happy. He didn't notice Shalona had followed him, but heard her make a sound as he held the stone. He turned his head, a low growl reverberating through him. She gazed at the stone and said, "I didn't know you were mated, Garrus… why didn't you ever say anything?"

Garrus stood and slipped the stone into an internal pocket of his armor, before putting his gauntlet back on and finishing up gathering his ammo. Finally ready to leave, he used his shoulder to push her aside as he said, "Because it isn't and never was, any of your business. Now get to work…."

_**CHAPTER BREAK**_

"Here ya go, Commander…" Vega handed Shepard a tiny box and she grinned at him, saying,

"You're not supposed to call me that anymore, Vega…." It was a running gag between them now. Vega would salute her or call her Commander and she'd tell him he wasn't supposed too. Both grinned, and Shepard moved to sit down as she opened the box and took out the stone. As she watched, it suffused with a deep, cobalt blue, almost glowing. Shepard's face went from drawn to delighted and she said, "There you are, honey… you had me worried…." As she watched, the stone flashed a light red, then a deep red, before the color faded to a gentle blue. Shepard frowned, and prayed to any spirit or deity in existence to keep her mate safe. They'd known this time was coming… but now it was here and they were not ready.

Raising her Omni Tool, she tapped out the long range, emergency contact code that would let the Normandy know to head for Earth.


	33. Scene 29

Bioware owns anything recognizable and the "creative team" is the creator…but if they'd created a BETTER ENDING, I might not feel that this HAD to be written. I WANT MY ENDING, DAMN IT… not some idiot's at Bioware who wanted an "artsy fartsy ending" that had NOTHING to do with my Shepard!

_**Anyway… changes are here and there, some things are cannon… but this IS an AU, so don't leave nasty notes that I left something out, ok?**_

_**Thanks to AnydayTV on You Tube for the dialog…they have a great video of the entire first half of the game…allowed me to get the dialog right, LOL.**_

_**Thanks to Marie Fan-Writer for being my beloved Beta! All mess ups are MINE and mine alone… she does the best she can with my stubborn-ness. LOL**_

_**CHAPTER BREAK**_

Shepard paced her room. It was a good sized room, bigger than her cabin on the Normandy, and much more lavish. Considering she'd been expecting to be held in a cell in the brig, this was a really nice room. But as she paced around, it was just too damn small. Growling, she stopped at the window and looked out, seeing a small grassy area that she'd often gone to sit on with Vega. Now a young boy, probably 8 or 9, was playing with a little toy space ship. The scene was idyllic and she couldn't help but be a little sad; this was what they were fighting for. As she stood there, watching, she heard her door open, and turned, dropping the curtain. Vega stood there, uncharacteristically serious as he saluted her, "Commander…."

Grinning Shepard teased, "You're not supposed to call me that anymore, James."

"Not supposed to salute you either. We gotta go… the Defense committee wants to see you."

Shepard felt a trill, not of fear, exactly, more like relief that things were going to happen. She tossed the data pad onto her bed and said, "Sounds important", as she fell into step with Vega.

As they walked through the hallways, people were running hither, thither and yon, making her dodge a few times to avoid a collision. Everyone rushed, and to Shepard, it looked like a ship's crew being called to battle stations. A cold fear settled in her gut, but she swallowed hard and followed James, trying not to get separated.

Breaking into a jog, she caught up with him and asked "What's going on?"

Vega didn't look back, just continued forward as he answered, "Couldn't say… just told me they needed you. Now."

At that point, the people parted and Shepard caught sight of Anderson. They met up and Vega sketched a salute as Shepard and Anderson shook hands. Shepard nodded, "Admiral…"

Anderson turned and kept walking as Shepard fell into pace with him, "You look good, Shepard… maybe a little soft in the edges… How you holding up since you were relieved of command?"

Shepard couldn't help it; she looked down at her belly, hands testing the firm abs. "It's not so bad, once you get used to the hot food and soft beds…."

They both continued to dodge people as Anderson said, "We'll get it sorted out…."

Looking around them, Shepard asked Anderson, "What's going on? Why is everyone is such a hurry?"

Anderson kept walking, concentrating on getting to his destination, "Admiral Hackett is mobilizing the fleets… I'm guessing words made it to Alliance Command. Something big's headed our way…."

Shepard stopped; images of the batarian home world in flames flashed through her mind and she said, "The Reapers?"

Anderson continued another two steps, then turned and said, "We don't know… not for certain."

Shepard shook her head, "What else could it be?"

"If I knew that…" he gazed at Shepard, the words hanging in midair.

"It's them. We're not ready… not by a long shot."

Anderson, even in the middle of the beginning of a war, looked slightly amused as he said, "Tell that to the Defense Committee…."

They began walking again and Shepard shook her head, "Unless we're planning to _talk _them to death, the committee's a waste of time."

Anderson shook his head, his words showing why Shepard had put him in as the first human councilor on the Citadel, "They're just scared. None of them have seen what you've seen. You've stared down a reaper… hell, you spoke to one; then blew the damn thing up. You've seen how the harvest us, what they plan to do to us. You know more about this enemy than anyone."

She couldn't help the bitterness in her voice, "That why they grounded me? Took me away from my ship, my crew?" _My mate_, her mind filled in, though she didn't say it out loud.

Anderson stopped and turned to face her, pointing a finger at her, eyes firm and slightly disappointed, "You know that's not true. When you blew up the relay, hundreds of thousands of batarians died…."

Glancing back, she saw Vega had stopped as well, and was keeping a cool, professional look on his face. Irritated, but trying to maintain some decorum, "It was that or let the Reapers walk through our back door."

The irritation faded from Anderson's eyes as he said, "I know that, Shepard." There was a slight pause, as though he were going to say something else, then changed him mind. Instead he said, "And so does the committee. If it wasn't for that, you'd have been court martialed and left to rot in the brig."

"That and your good word…?" she knew it was true, but some part of her wanted to hear him say it again.

Anderson looked askance at her, "Yea… I trust you, Shepard. And so does the committee."

"I'm just a soldier, Anderson… I'm no politician."

Anderson turned and began walking, talking to her over his shoulder, "I don't need you to be either. I just need you to do whatever the hell it takes to help us stop the Reapers."

They entered a room and were met by a young woman in Alliance uniform who reminded Shepard a lot of Yeoman Chambers. The woman didn't meet their eyes as she glanced at the entry to the Committee and said, "They're expecting you two, Admiral"

They following the young woman around a corner. In the ante room, Vega stopped and said, "Good luck in there, Shepard…" The young officer and Anderson kept moving but she turned to shake Vega's hand before leaving him. As she was about to follow her superior down the hall, she heard an unexpected voice; Kaiden. It sounded hesitant, but hopeful,

"Shepard…."

Keeping her face as cool and professional as possible, she turned and said, "Kaiden…"

Anderson was standing in front of the Biotic and Shepard turned to walk up to stand next to Anderson as he said, "Lt Commander… how'd it go in there?"

Alenko shook his head, "I guess it went ok… I'm just waiting for orders now…."

A little surprised, Shepard stepped up next to Anderson and said, looking at Kaiden, "Lt Commander?"

Anderson glanced over at her, and then said, "You hadn't heard?"

Shepard shook her head; she couldn't help by wonder if part of that promotion was due to Alenko's actions. Forcing herself to stop, she said, "No, I hadn't…." Kaiden began to stammer an apology, but Shepard interrupted him, "Don't worry… congratulations…"

At that moment, the young woman came back, "Admiral…"

Anderson, perhaps sensing the tension, nodded at Shepard and said, "Come on…" before heading to the chambers. Shepard nodded at Alenko as they passed, but her attention was firmly on the situation before her.

As she expected, the Council was scared and looking to her to fix the entire situation. As they handed her a data pad, she glanced at it, but it, then looked back up at them. They wanted her to save them, to pull some magic fix out of her ass and they were not too happy when she told them the truth. This wasn't about stopping the Reapers… it wasn't even about preparing for them, that ship had sailed. It was about surviving. There were facing an enemy who was stronger, faster and smarter. An enemy who doesn't fear organics and who doesn't have a shred of mercy or pity in their being.

A tech called out that they'd lost contact with Luna Base and Anderson stared in shock. "They can't be that close…." The UK had sent a video and as they all watched, Shepard felt as though ice was forming up and down her spine. She watched the vid screen, then looked away, only to see the horrified faces of the people in the room.

"Why haven't we heard from Admiral Hackett?" Anderson asked, mostly to himself.

One of the councilors stood up and looked at Shepard, his voice pleading. Shepard was reminded of a child, begging his parents to tell him that monster under the bed wasn't real. Unfortunately, this time, the monster was not only real, but intent on killing everyone. Tempted as she was to leave, just to throw her hands up and give up. They'd ignored her, discounted her, told people she was insane and _**NOW**_, when it was too late, they looked to her to save them. _Again_. But in the end, her "Commander Shepard" personality took over, as it always did and she said, "We only have two choices here… we fight, or we die."

Looking at the faces around her, the people who were supposed to be the Defense Committee of Earth, all she saw was fear, horror, terror… and the total lack of hope. Before she could say anything else, a sound brought all attention to the huge windows behind the committee. As she saw the Reaper ship descend, the red beam beginning to form, she realized that everyone, including Anderson, was intent on looking at the ship and not getting into cover. "MOVE!" she shouted, and put motion or words just as the window and most of the room exploded. She managed to slide under the huge table that the committee sat behind as it hurled toward her like a missile, but a second beam managed to hit close enough that she was picked up and thrown back into the wall, collapsing onto a bench, before rolling to the floor.

As if from a distance, she heard Anderson calling her name. Managing to raise herself a little, she saw Anderson searching for her and made a motion. Seeing her, Anderson sighed in relief. Before he came over to her and offered her a hand. He helped haul her to her feet and handed her a pistol. "Take this… I can't raise any of the ships…."

Shepard shook her head, "The Normandy is due any time… with any luck, they're safe. I hope they didn't run into those ships before they got here." The two of them went around the now burning room, checking the bodies, but no one else lived. Anderson managed to raise Kaiden and learned that he was on his way to the space dock to get a ship. Anderson turned to Shepard and said, "They'll do what they can… but we have to get to the space doc…. The pistol is out of ammo, but we'll have to try and find some between here and there."

The two of them exited through a shattered window and dropped down to a ledge, hurrying toward the space docks less than a mile away. The distance wouldn't have been a challenge, normally; but the Reaper ships that were even now dropping down and attacking made any movement difficult. Trying to stay under the radar, Shepard and Anderson made their way toward the Space Dock, only to be cut off by more explosions. They found a downed gun ship, and after helping free the trapped pilot, she and Anderson made their way onto the ship to look for the radio it carried.

Unfortunately, the Reapers were now dropping husks and cannibals. After managing to get some ammo, they killed as many husks and cannibals as they could, and managed to get to the radio. Shepard tuned it to her emergency channel and said, "This is Shepard… anyone there…."

"Hey Commander! Good to hear your voice… glad to you know you're not... you know, Reaper Chow!"

Shepard nearly collapsed in relief, "Joker?"

"In the flesh! Where are you, we'll swing by and pick you up…."

Shepard felt like laughing, Joker hadn't changed and that made everything seem okay again. "I'm turning on the beacon of this radio, Joker… Anderson and I could use a save…."

Joker's voice, even facing death once again, was filled with sarcastic humor as he said "On our way, Commander… by the way, we already picked up Kaiden and Wrex Jr… Found them wandering around the docks…"

A surge of irritation, but she quickly dampened it down and said, "Nice work, Joker… you have an ETA on this save? Cause I'm about to become a Cannibal and Husk blue plate special over here…."

As she said that, she saw a massive explosion in front of her and ducked, when she looked up again, the Normandy was hovering just to the right, shuttle bay doors opened. "Anderson! This way!"

Anderson and Shepard ran for the Normandy, up a broken piece of bridge and with a massive jump, Shepard landed on the ship. Alenko, who had been covering them, reached out a hand to tap her shoulder, pushing her a bit further up. Shepard pulled out an assault rifle from his armor and turned to give covering fire for Anderson, only to see him standing there, watching her. "COME ON, Anderson! You can make that jump…."

Anderson gave her a half smile, "I'm not going, Shepard…"

Shepard felt a swelling of fury, "The hell you're not, Anderson! Get the fuck on this ship and let's do what we can to save the damn galaxy!"

But Anderson shook his head, "No… look at those men, Shepard. They _need_ someone to lead them; they need me!"

Shepard felt tears burning in her eyes, but she shouted, "WE need you too, Anderson…."

But Anderson merely smiled at her, "No, you don't, Shepard… you haven't for years. You need to go to the Citadel… talk to the council and get help. You're right, if we don't work together, then none of us will make it. So make it happen, Shepard… make it happen!"

Shepard stared, shocked, "Earth needs us, Anderson! We can't help if we're off trying to get the Council to remember how to remove their heads from their asses!"

Anderson shook his head again, "You said it yourself, we can't beat them alone, Shepard… the most we can do is buy you some time to get everyone working together… and that I can do best by staying here and leading the resistance. But you have to go… if you stay then everything is already lost and we might as well just lay down and die."

"Damn it, Anderson! This isn't fair!"

"No, it's not, Shepard… not even remotely. But it is a fact… I can make it an order, if you need me too…."

Shepard smirked now, though her heart was shriveling up as she thought about everything she would lose…might have already lost. "I don't take orders from you anymore, Anderson… remember?"

She saw Anderson reach into his pocket, then he flung something at her and she instinctively reached out to snatch them from mid-air. A set of dog tags; dog tags with her name on them. Not her own tags since those were currently in a box possessed by Garrus in lieu of a burra. She raised surprised eyes to Anderson's who smirked and said, "Welcome back, _COMMANDER_ Shepard… Now get out of here!"

Drawing to attention, she snapped a salute, which Anderson returned and then she said, "Joker, get us the hell out of here…."

As she stalked to the back of the shuttle bay, she noticed that Kaiden was looking at her oddly, but right now, there were more important things to worry about. As Joker left the atmosphere, Shepard headed to the elevator, only to make a detour when Edi said, "Admiral Hackett on the communicator for you, Commander…."

_**CHAPTER BREAK**_

"Vakarian!"

Garrus took the last two shots, taking down the damned Reaper creatures that were coming at them, before turning to the tall turian wearing red armor. "Yes, General Victus?"

General Adrian Victus stalked up to Garrus and asked "Have you heard from the 23rd?"

Garrus sighed, "No…."

"Damn it… why in Spirits name does the Primarch _ASK_ opinions from experts if he's going to disregard them and do what he wants anyway?" Garrus didn't bother answering, he just reloaded his weapons since he had a moment. The question was moot anyway, since both knew the answer.

"Alright, Vakarian… which way are they going to go now?"

Garrus growled. Despite his title as head of the Reaper Task Force, he couldn't decide what the damn things would do any better than anyone else. But he considered what he knew and responded with, "They're trying to overcome everything with superior firepower… but if we come at them in illogical ways, they get confused. They're sentient, partially organic machines… perhaps the best way to defeat them is to be as illogical as possible…."

Victus looked interested, "guerilla combat… interesting. So…." Victus pulled a map out and spread it on the ground, using rocks to hold it still. He traced the Reaper's dots along one side, then pointed at three different places, "if we hit them here… here… and here. We might be able to get them confused. It's a thought, anyway. Vakarian, take the 14th platoon to this point," his talon tapped on a spot on the map.

Garrus craned his neck and saw where the General was pointing, then nodded, "ok…do-able. "

Victus nodded and said, "Keep them distracted and Brutus will bring in the 65th here…."

Garrus nodded again, he saw what Victus was going to do and approved. They wouldn't win this by pitting strength or firepower… but if they were clever they might at least delay them enough to buy time for the civilians to be saved. Garrus briefly thought of his father and sister… he hadn't heard from them since the Reapers had arrived. And as usual, his thoughts traveled to his mate and he growled. Spirits he was worried about her. Garrus realized that Victus was staring at him and snapped his attention back to the task at hand.

"General Vakarian… there is an incoming call for you… Primarch Fidorian wants to speak with you…."


	34. Scene 30

"Mars, Admiral Hackett?"

Shepard stood on the shuttle deck, talking to Admiral Hackett on the video com. "Yes, Commander… congratulations on the field promotion, by the way."

Shepard nodded, her hands clasped firmly behind her back, "Thank you sir… so we need to go to Mars and speak to Liara… are we sure that will be helpful?"

"Commander, they're mowing us down… I sacrificed the entire second fleet to allow the third and fifth to escape. We can't win this on sheer fire power… their decimating us. But if Dr. T'Soni is right, then this weapon may be the difference between winning and losing…."

Shepard nodded, "Of course, Admiral… I'll tell Joker to set course to the Mars station…"

He nodded, "Good… Hackett out…."

"You want to explain what we're doing, Shepard?" Vega's voice was furious and Shepard turned to face him. Shrugging her shoulders, she said, "We're following orders, Vega…."

"Just drop me off, then… cause I need to be back there… on Earth!"

Shepard had had enough, she turned and shoved a finger into Vega's chest, leaning into his personal space and snarling, "Do you think I WANT to leave? Do you think that this makes me _HAPPY_? Let me clear this up for you… I would rather stay on Earth and fight. _BUT_, I am also a soldier and I'm **NOT** an idiot. We can't win this on our own with just your gun and mine they can't make a difference on Earth. _BUT_, if there is a weapon on Mars… or if we can gather enough information and get everyone on the same page, we might have a shot in hell of making it through this.

"So… you don't want to be here? Fine… as soon as we get to the Citadel, you can get off the Normandy and find a way back to Earth. But until then, you _**WILL**_ follow orders. Do you understand me, Lt. Vega?"

Vega slammed a salute and stalked away, to the other side of the hanger. Shortly after the sound of flesh meeting metal could be heard. A moment after that Vega re-appeared and stalked over to stand by the shuttle, shaking his hand.

"Well… that made quite an impression…" Shepard swung around and saw Miranda standing outside the elevator, a familiar smirk on her face. Shepard smiled at her,

"Miranda… damn, you are a genetically perfect sight for sore eyes… report."

Miranda continued to saunter in, smirking as she said, "Things have been going well, Shepard… we kept her safe, just as we said we would. We did make a few… layout changes, just to make more sense for the next few months. And we've already got several supports lined up, including the Blue Suns.

"Oh, and money is not an issue for now, Shepard… between Zaeed and me, we've managed to raid and pillage every Cerberus base we can find… shutting them down at the same time."

James Vega looked like he'd just been flash fried as he gazed at Miranda in her skin tight leather clothes and muttered, "Holy shit…."

Shepard grinned at the poleaxed expression on Vega's face, and made a mental note to warn Miranda to leave the Marine alone… no matter what he thought, she'd eat him alive. She brought her attention back to the present and asked, "Who's on board, Miranda?"

"Presently, Zaeed, Kasumi and myself; though we've sent out the recall code to all the rest. We picked up the asari, T'Soni, a couple of months ago and dropped her off at the Mars colony. Her… friend… the drell is in her room at the moment, but as I understand it, he's preparing to leave."

Shepard nodded, "I guess Liara's found something… we're going to Mars to investigate. Joker?"

Joker's voice was a little odd, but he said, "Already put it in, Commander…we're on our way."

Shepard gestured for Vega and Kaiden to gather round as she and Miranda spoke. Finally, she said, "Ok… where did you put Liara?"

Miranda smirked again, "The only room that was big enough… mine. I've made myself a room off the CIC. It's a bit small, but it works and I'm close to the war room and CIC."

Shepard hesitated, "The war room?"

Miranda nodded, yeah, I told you we made a few changes. We moved the armory down here," she gestured around the shuttle bay, though we ran out of time and it's not separate; we'll need to remedy that when we can. And we took out the back of Mordin's lab, the comm room and most of what used to be the armory and created a war room so we could keep up with all the information. We picked up a couple of Alliance personnel as well."

Cocking her head to the side, Shepard frowned and asked, "How did we end up with Alliance personnel?"

Miranda leaned back against the wall next to the elevator, one leg bent, foot against the wall and smirked, "Apparently, word gets around, Commander… periodically, we would have Alliance personnel show up and ask to join the crew… I believe that Dr. Chakwas has been responsible, at least in part, as many of the Alliance men and women used her personal code to find us."

Shepard shook her head, chuckling, "Leave it to the doc to excel at recruiting… So you picked up Liara?"

Miranda nodded, "Yes, she had a bit of a run in with Cerberus… so we swung by and got her and as much of her equipment as we could save. When Hackett called and asked Liara to go to the Mars Archives, we dropped her off. We would have come by to visit, but they told us that you were not accepting visitors…."

Shepard chuckled at Miranda's dry humor, then she turned, including Vega and Alenko as she said "Ok then… let's swing by Mars and pick up Liara and any information she's found… then on to the Citadel."

Alenko saluted her, but Vega turned and stalked away. Miranda smirked at his back, and turned to enter the elevator as Shepard moved to stand beside her. Alenko looked like he was going to enter the elevator too, but Shepard held up a hand, "Sorry, car is full…."

Once the doors closed, Shepard turned to Miranda and said, "Edi, stop the car. Miranda…."

Miranda sighed, "Shepard… we haven't heard from Garrus since the Reapers hit Palavan. I'm sorry, we've been trying to get in touch, but he's not answering on any of the channels…."

Shepard seemed to deflate, leaning against the wall of the elevator, eyes closed as a single tear slipped from her eye and slid down her face. "Thank you, Miranda… you'll tell me if…."

She hesitated, she wasn't really into touching others, but she reached out a hand anyway, resting it on Shepard's shoulder, "Of course, Shepard… Edi is scanning all the turian channels for any mention… and his comm channels are open…."

Shepard reached up and patted Miranda's hand, then rubbed the tear away, standing up and tugging her uniform top down as she said, "Ok…."

Shepard stopped the elevator at engineering, and nodded to Miranda as she walked down the hall, stopping at the doors to engineering. Taking a deep breath, she walked into the room, past the stairs leading to Jack's old hidey hole and into engineering proper. Ken and Gabby were at their stations, and both turned, smiling at her. She returned the smile, then saw the other person in the room and stopped, surprised. "Chief Adams?"

Adams turned to face Shepard, going to attention and snapping a salute. "Yes ma'am… good to see you, Commander."

"This is a surprise… when did you get to the Normandy?"

"About three weeks ago, ma'am; and I want to apologize to you."

Shepard frowned, "Apologize? For what?"

"Back when you first… got this ship. Dr. Chakwas contacted me and asked me to help you with your mission against the collectors; I refused. I didn't have your back, and for that, I'm sorry."

She shook her head, "Don't worry about it, Chief. I understand, trust me. Working with Cerberus wasn't my favorite idea either."

Adams still appeared uncomfortable, "No, but you used them to do what needed to be done. And I should have had your back…"

Shepard held up a hand, her face firm, "Seriously, Chief… its fine; I completely understand and believe me, I don't blame you at all."

Adams still didn't seem convinced, so Shepard turned the talk to the Normandy, asking him how the SR2 compared to the SR1. To her amusement, Adamns practically gushed about the ship. After a few more minutes, she left engineering and headed over toward Zaeed's quarters.

Shepard knocked loudly and heard the old Merc's distinctive voice telling her to come in. The minute she opened the door she was smothered by 110 pounds of ecstatic, writhing, joyous Varren. Shepard grinned and then laughed as Urz gave a great attempt at trying to both scent mark her, roll on her and drag her to his bed. After a few minutes of scratching, belly rubs and soft cooing, Zaeed's voice, dripping with amusement, said, "Ah right, ya menace… let her breath… go on now, off with ya..." Obediently, the Varren dropped to his belly, but never left her side, occasionally rubbing his face on her leg as he gazed up at her with utter devotion.

Shepard raised her eyes and found herself face to face with Zaeed. Opening her mouth to speak, all that she could do was squeak as the Merc grabbed her and pulled her to his chest, hugging her so hard she couldn't breathe. Stunned by the out of character action, Shepard could only wrap her arms around Zaeed's back and hug him back. A few seconds later, the old merc pulled away, and turned, his voice gruff, "Glad ta see you back, Shepard… it's been a bit quiet on the ship without you. That and your bloody menace has been bout as depressed as I've ever seen… all mope'in in the corner and shite."

Zaeed was obviously not going to address his actions, so Shepard, after careful consideration, just went along with him. "I hope he wasn't too much trouble, Zaeed… do you have good news for me?"

Nodding, Zaeed moved to his terminal, which Shepard was surprised to see was covered by various schedules, contracts and contacts; all carrying the Blue Suns logo. Shepard raised her eyes to Zaeed and said, raising an eyebrow, "Something you want to tell me?"

Zaeed grinned, and said, "The Blue Suns are a bit more widespread and populated than they were 20 years ago… but every ga'dam one of them is ready to go. Say the word, you'll have a bloody army of mercs ready to kick Reaper arse."

Shaking her head, trying to make sense of this Shepard said, "You took over the Blue Suns?"

Zaeed shrugged, "let's say… I recouped my initial investment. Nature hates a vacuum, love… so with Vido gone, the Suns were ready for someone to step up. There's a few more contacts than there were back then… thankfully, Vido was never very smart about his passwords. Didn't take me too long to get in and take over the bloody computer shite… from there, it was easy to bring the men back under control."

Shepard shook her head, "So, how many are we talking?"

Zaeed shrugged again, leaning against the counter where Jessie sat, now completely rebuilt, "A hundred thousand… give or take. There were a few more… but they didn't like the change in management, so I had to… let them go." Shepard noticed a few more scars, most of them fresh on Zaeed's face and arms, but said nothing about them. She did purse her lips and nod,

"Damn… you have been busy. So we have a hundred thousand mercs… and they'll go against the Reapers?"

"Give the word, darling, and they'll lead the fuckin charge. Now bear in mind, love… the Suns are ground troops, so they'll be best deployed on planets."

Shepard nodded, her tactical mind already running through scenarios. "Damn, Zaeed… those are going to be a hell of a force."

Zaeed nodded, "We also had a few run-ins with Cerberus… any good will they've earned by bringin you back, they lost… they're pullin shite again, so watch out for em."

She nodded, "Yeah, Miranda said something about that. Ok… I'm going to go check on Kasumi and then head up to CIC. You know where I am if you need me…."

"Right back where you're suppose ta be…."

Shepard grinned, clapping the Merc on the shoulder, "Damn straight… we're making a stop at Mars to get Liara. She seems to think she's found what might be a weapon to defeat the Reapers… and we need all the help we can get."

He nodded and she turned to leave, said softly, "Welcome home, little girl…."

Shepard shot a look over her shoulder, grinning at him as she left the room.

Shepard's next stop, accompanied by Urz, who refused to let her out of his sight, was Kasumi's room. Riding the elevator up to the crew quarters, Shepard called, "Edi?"

"Yes, Shepard?"

"Do you have lists of all the contacts and forces that the crew has gathered?"

"Yes, Shepard… everything is on a terminal in the war room… but I can send a copy to the terminal in your quarters, if you'd like."

Shepard sighed, "No, that's okay, Edi. I need to check out the 'war room' anyway. Edi… when was Garrus on the Normandy last?"

"One hundred and seventy four days ago, Commander. We shuttled him from Palavan to his posting on Menae."

Shepard frowned, "So Garrus isn't on Palavan?"

"Not as of the last information we received. He is posted on Menae, one of Palavan's moons."

Shepard leaned back against the wall, closing her eyes a moment, allowing relief to coat her heart. She knew it wasn't a sure thing, but the fact he wasn't on Palavan meant that he had a better chance. "Edi, scan the turian refugee lists and any survivor or death lists for the rest of the Vakarian family."

Sabina Vakarian had died just three weeks after her meeting with Shepard. Anderson had come to deliver the news in person and despite everything, Shepard had wept bitterly for the loss. She'd sworn at that moment, that she'd make damn sure that when this was over, there was a monument built for her.

She stepped out of the elevator as the doors opened and was nearly knocked over as Kasumi launched herself at Shepard, hugging her so tightly that Shepard nearly blacked out. Urz sat and watched the two women, head cocked, obviously confused. A few moments later, Kasumi stepped back and said, "Shep… it is so good to see you! I hear we're going to pick up Liara from Mars? I hope she's found something big, because it's not looking good…."

Shepard nodded, serious as she said, "I know… How have you been, Kasumi?"

Kasumi grinned, her eyes flashing with mischief as she said, "I'm good, Shep… I've gotten quite a few people lined up. The Thief's Guild has signed on, and they've already started sending quite a bit of information they've picked up. I've also gotten…."

Shepard cocked her head and said, "Wait a minute… hold on… there's a THIEF'S GUILD?"

Kasumi grinned, "Of course there is… and the membership is very exclusive. I've gotten quite a few people lined up to help as well… though I don't have as many merc contacts as Zaeed, or as many former Cerberus contacts as Miranda… I think that the people I've gotten to agree to help us may come in handy. Outright force isn't always the best way to get things done, Shep…."

She chuckled; the little Thief's overwhelming optimism was a sure way to get her to smile. "I agree with you, Kasumi… sometimes coming in from behind, quietly, is the best way to be successful."

Kasumi grinned and said, "I'm heading down to say goodbye to Feron…."

Shepard shook her head, "I thought he was in Liara's room… where is he?"

Kasumi laughed, a sound not unlike wind chimes, "No, he left the room a few minutes ago… you know drells, they like to be sneaky and quiet. He's meeting a cloaked ship in orbit at Mars to go off on his own."

Shepard shook her head, "I would have liked to talk to him again…."

"I think he's a little… overwhelmed by you, Shep… You may not know it, but you have a pretty strong personality…."

Shepard laughed, and then said, "Really? I must have missed that memo. Ok, Kasumi tell Feron to be careful… I'm going to check with Rupert and then head up to see this 'war room' that Miranda mentioned."

Kasumi laughed again and entered the elevator as Shepard headed to the mess. On the way to the mess hall, several crew members stopped to talk to her. She was really surprised to see not only people familiar from the formerly Cerberus crew, but also crew members from the original Normandy. Civilian crew intermixed with Alliance personnel, and everyone seemed to get along.

The Normandy's Mess Chief grinned when she saw her and said, "Commander Shepard! You're a sight for sore eyes! Thank god you're back!"

Shepard smiled and said, "Gardner… I missed you. And I really missed your banana pudding!"

Shepard talked and joked with Gardner and a few other crew members for a few minutes, then turned and headed up to the CIC. She really wanted to go to her cabin, hoping that there was at least something with Garrus' scent still on it. She knew that it was unlikely, but she still hoped. Exiting the elevator to the CIC, Shepard stood looking around. To the left, where the entrance to the Armory used to be, stood Miranda, smiling. She walked over to her and said, "So… care to show me your quarters and this war room?"

Miranda smirked and gestured to the door behind her, "Come on in, Commander."

Miranda had said it was smaller, and she wasn't kidding. The room was about half the size of her former room and she'd managed to put a bed and a desk with a terminal in there. Miranda and Shepard chuckled together as they headed over to what had once been the entry to Mordin's lab. And it was still Mordin's lab, including the small room with his cot and footlocker. However, mid-way down the lab, where the door to the hallway leading to what was formerly the communications room had been, was now a wall. The door was gone, and instead, there was a door at the back of the lab.

Going through that door, there was also a new scanner located just past the door that checked DNA to confirm identity. As they passed through the scanner, Miranda led her to what had once been the communication room; to the left was a small room that Miranda explained was the Quantum communications room. The rest of the area consisted of a sunken war table with a galaxy map and the upper area had terminals set around it.

Miranda and Shepard stood at the War Table, gazing at the display. The batarian home world was on fire, so was Palavan and several other smaller worlds. Shepard shook her head, unable to draw her eyes from Palavan. She started as she felt Miranda's hand on her shoulder, "He'll be fine, Shepard… he took a rocket to the face and came back to you…he's too tough to die…."

Shepard smiled and turned, ready to leave the room, "I know, Miranda… I know… it's just…."

Miranda nodded, "I know…."

_**CHAPTER BREAK**_

The Mars mission did NOT go as well as she'd hoped. She'd taken Zaeed, Kaiden and Vega with her, and finding Liara had been the easy part. Working against time, thanks to a huge sand storm moving their way, they'd found that Cerberus was there, and killing the scientists. Kaiden had been very distrustful of her, all but accusing her of still working for Cerberus. Shepard had ended up having to get in his face about it, and then restrain Zaeed from kicking the Alliance Biotic's ass.

She'd ended up sending Vega back to get the shuttle once they'd found Liara and found out that they'd have to make their way through the facility to the central lab to get the information from the Prothean archives. The information was on a device that Liara was convinced was a weapon to destroy the Reapers. Worse, Liara had NO idea how it worked, or how they were supposed to build it… but since it was their only real hope, they all decided to go for it.

After fighting their way to the lab, they found that another visiting scientist, Dr. Eva, was working for Cerberus and had downloaded the information off the archives. The Illusive man made an appearance, much to Shepard's irritation, warning her to back off and once more trying to convince her that Cerberus' plans were the Galaxy's best hope to survive. Shepard ended up chasing the Cerberus scientist through the facility where she jumped in a shuttle. Dr. Eva had the data, so she called Vega to do something to stop the shuttle; unfortunately, Vega's way of stopping the shuttle was to ram it with the one he flew.

The Cerberus shuttle crashed and burst into flame, and she and Kaiden headed for it, hoping to save the data, when the door exploded outward. Liara was hit by the door and Shepard turned to heck on her, when Dr. Eva, now exposed as a synthetic platform, grabbed Kaiden. The Cerberus AI spoke to the Illusive man who told her to destroy Kaiden. She held him by the neck and slammed him against the shuttle several times, Shepard left Vega to help Liara and ran at the burning shuttle.

She pulled her gun and began to fire at Dr. Eva, finally taking her down. As the storm swept over them, Shepard ordered Zaeed to grab the Cerberus Mech as she picked Kaiden up in a fireman's carry and headed for the damaged shuttle. Back on the Normandy, Liara and Miranda managed to stabilize Kaiden as Shepard had Joker set coarse for the Citadel as fast as possible.

_**CHAPTER BREAK**_

Edi managed to download quite a bit of the information off of the now disabled Cerberus mech. They stored in the AI core, under guard and locked down. Liara was sure that the weapon, now going by the name of the Conduit, was their best hope, and Hackett agreed with her. Shepard closed out the quantum communicator and turned to leave the room, rubbing her shoulder and rolling her neck. Shepard looked up to find Kasumi watching her from the upper portion of the war room, she couldn't help but smile. Leave it to the lithe little thief to get into a heavily protected Alliance war room. Kasumi walked down to where Shepard stood and said, for once, serious, "Shepard… I've done most of what I can here…."

Shepard felt a surge of fear, and another of protectiveness, "There's a lot left for you to do, Kasumi…."

Now the little Japanese woman smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes, "No, there isn't. I've lined up what support I can find… I'm not a soldier, I'm an infiltrator… a thief. But…."

Shepard felt absurdly overwhelmed and tried to control the feelings, merely saying, "Ok, Kasumi… if you need to get to safety…" her words were shut off sharply as Kasumi gave her an open handed smack to the back of the head. Shepard stared at Kasumi, who was glaring at her; rubbing her head, Shepard yelled, "What the hell, Kasumi!"

Kasumi continued glaring and said, "I'm not a coward Shepard and there is _**NO WAY**_ I'd just go hide and let my friends and family go through hell without me!"

"Then what?"

"I think that the best thing I can do to help is go assist the scientists on the Crucible project…."

Shepard watched her, narrowing her eyes, and said, thoughtfully, "I agree that your specific talents would be useful there…."

Kasumi grinned, "These programs always need _things_… and someone who can _acquire_ **things** is very useful…."

Shepard shook her head, her eyes sad. She'd just gotten back, and now she was facing the loss of one of her "family". Kasumi seemed to know how she was feeling, because she reached out and squeezed Shepard's hand. Shepard nodded, standing up straight and forcing her emotions back down as she said, "You're right, Kasumi… you can be incredibly useful to the crucible program. As soon as we get to the Citadel, I'll arrange passage for you."

Kasumi nodded, "Sounds good, Shep… You know, I'm not going to be far… if you need me, I can be back on the Normandy within a day or two."

Shepard nodded and smiled at Kasumi, "I know… come on, I hear Gardner is making something special for dinner… if we're late, Zaeed will eat it all."

She grinned, "At least we don't have to compete with Grunt anymore…." Laughing, the two women headed from the War room arm in arm.

_**CHAPTER BREAK**_

"General Vakarian…."

Facing the vid screen, Garrus gave a turian salute, "Primarch Fidorian…."

"I'm sure you've seen the reports from Palavan… we're not winning this fight, despite all the time and resources that we poured into your taskforce…."

Garrus forced down the growl that formed in his throat, keeping his voice carefully neutral, he said, "We had more warning than we would have without the taskforce… and our supply lines are strong and still supporting the…."

The Primarch gave a snarl and said, "But still Palavan burns… I expected better from you, Vakarian. I had hoped you had matured and were more like your father…."

It took all of his control not to tell the Primarch to go to hell, but he managed to keep himself in control and said, "Primarch… as you know, when my father and I came to you, I was upfront about what was coming."

Glaring at Garrus through the vid screen, Fidorian's sharp green eyes glared as he said, "And I stepped up and gave you what you asked for… resources, troops, the freedom to do what you felt was necessary."

Garrus gritted his teeth, the Primarch had thought he was insane, the only reason he'd given Garrus anything was because Amantius Vakarian had stood by his son, and Fidorian and Amantius were friends. The Primarch had thrown a few men and some resources at Garrus, and then sent him to Menae in the hopes that it would shut him up. Garrus had taken what he'd been given and done everything he could… and a little more. Trying to control the desire to tell Fidorian to kiss his ass, Garrus counted to ten. In turian… then common…then Quarian. Before he could finish, General Victus spoke up from behind him,

"Primarch… considering what few resources General Vakarian was given, he's done an exemplary job. If he hadn't been putting things in motion, we'd have been caught completely by surprise, and we'd have lost even more than we have. His early warning sensors gave us more than a day's warning… far more than the batarians had. Not to mention the protections on the supply lines that have kept our platoons from starving to death, or running out of ammo… and the shelters and transportation he set up for the civilians. General Vakarian's actions, with his Reaper Task force, are why the Reapers haven't beaten us yet."

Fidorian seemed taken aback, and Garrus was surprised as well. He glanced at General Victus, giving him a slight nod. He'd known Victus for years, though the General was a few years older than he was and a career military officer. Their families were neighbors and old friends; their parents had, at one time, tried to set up a mating between Garrus and Kalia Victus, the General's younger sister.

There was a sound from the vid screen and Garrus turned back to the Primarch in time to see him speak to someone off the camera. Fidorian looked back and said, his voice deceptively mild, "Quite right, General Victus. General Vakarian has done a great deal for our people. Vakarian, have you heard from your father?"

Garrus shook his head, "No… no word yet from my father or my sister."

Fidorian suddenly looked older, and Garrus was surprised to remember that Fidorian was the same age as his father. Fidorian said, softly, "I was very sorry to hear about Sabina. Your mother was a rare and exceptional female… a credit to our race."

Garrus nodded, unable to help the keening of his sub harmonics, but he mashed it down viciously, and said, "Thank you, Primarch…."

"Back to the current crisis; there is a war summit coming up… I'm intending to make a move in three days."

Victus and Garrus exchanged a concerned look, and Garrus said, "Primarch… with the Reapers here in force, I'm not sure it's safe for you to attempt to leave…."

Fidorian shook his head, then turned his attention to both Generals and said, "Be that as it may, Vakarian, I have to try. We're going to need assistance if we hope to save our planet and our people. Staying here on Menae isn't going to help us… but if I can get to the Citadel, I can try to garner some support."

General Victus said, "I understand, Primarch… Vakarian has an idea that the Reapers can be confused when confronted with illogical actions… an idea that I agree with. If you're going to make an attempt at leaving, you may bear that in mind. It may be useful."

The Primarch looked thoughtful, then nodded, "Thank you… that information may be useful. I know that you both are doing everything possible to fight these Reapers… that you're making your people proud. No matter what happens, continue that, Generals. And if something does happen to me, I know that either both of you are willing to step up and take your proper places…."

Garrus and Victus shared a look, both horrified by the thought, but it was Victus that said, "Be careful Primarch… you're important to the turian people."

The Primarch nodded, and closed the conference. Garrus shook his head, "If we knew when he was leaving, we could send extra forces to different sectors to pull their attention off the area the Primarch is leaving from."

Victus looked thoughtful, "Yes… hopefully he gives careful consideration to our suggestion…."

The unmistakable sound of a Reaper filled the tent as the ground shook and both Generals cursed, then turned and ran out of the tent. Once more, into the fray.


	35. Scene 31

_Again some of this is direct conversations that are in ME3, they belong to Bioware and I make no claims (or $) on them or any other part of this story. IF, the writers at BW would have made a decent ending that didn't ruin the entire trilogy, I wouldn't have felt the need to write this!_

_Diana Allers… other than whatever points you get for her… is there ANY reason to keep her on the ship? I mean, I guess she fulfills the "T&A" in tight leather, but my story still has Miranda for that… and Miranda at least has SOME personality! Unless I can figure out a good reason to bring her on board, I think we'll just leave her on the Citadel. _

_Yes, I know I skipped the "rush Kaiden to the hospital" first scene. AND in the game, we don't see Thane until the second time on the Citadel… BUT, I wanted my Drell back, dammit! So we'll run into him this chapter!_

_As always, Special THANKS to Marie Fan-Writer! My wonderful Beta!_

_**CHAPTER BEGINNING**_

Garrus walked into his tent and dropped onto the cot. He'd been awake for three days straight and he was finally so tired that he had to get at least a few hours of sleep. Lying on his back, he threw an arm across his eyes. Spirits he was tired… but he couldn't sleep, not yet. Garrus reached into his armor and pulled out his Love Stone, seeing it was almost glowing in a blue/grey color. Garrus frowned, the only time he'd seen anything close to that was when they'd looked at their stones after making love. Both had been relaxed, satiated and sleepy; content even. Garrus wondered why it was that color but he dismissed any other thought and just concentrated on how much he loved his mate… how much he needed her, loved her, wanted her. He gazed at his stone, waiting, hoping that it would change color. When nothing happened, he slid it back into his armor and tried to sleep, his thoughts chaotic and worried.

_**CHAPTER BREAK**_

Shepard wasn't sure what woke her, but she shot awake and gasped. She was confused for a moment, then realized she was sleeping in her own nest, hugging one of Garrus' pillows because it smelled like him. She even wore one of his shirts, while it was way too big, especially around the neck, it smelled like him and it felt like him. She'd been sleeping, something that she wasn't used to doing anymore. While she knew she wouldn't truly sleep ntil she was back in her mate's arm, being in their nest, surrounded by their things, and his scent, she'd slept better than she had in months. She'd been looking at her stone when she fell asleep and now she almost went into a panic when she couldn't find it. But then her hand closed around the familiar shape and she pulled it out; it was a deep, gleaming, cobalt blue. Gasping, she sat up and said, "Lights on 50%, Edi."

Shepard nearly wept with joy, her mate was alive! She tightened her hand on her Stone and began to pour all her love, all her desire, needs and feelings into the stone in her hand. She wanted her mate to know that she loved him; she wanted it so bad she could taste it. Her Stone began to fade back to its normal blue and Shepard lay back down, curling on her side, cupping her Stone in her hand and let herself weep. Eventually, she slept, unaware when Edi silently lowered the lights once more.

_**CHAPTER BREAK**_

"DAMN IT!" Garrus cursed at the young turian before him, gripping his armor front, "What the hell were you thinking, Cleos? You want to kill yourself? That's fine… but you're going to get your damn platoon killed, not to mention the rest of us!" He shoved the soldier backwards and saw him hit the makeshift desk and barely keep his feet.

Garrus stopped to take a breath and turned, stalking back to the rear of the tent. He heard a sound and spun, stopping stock still; the recipient of his ire stood where he'd left him, leaning against the desk, his sub-harmonics keening and the expression on his face made Garrus pause. The turian was young, barely out of boot camp, not more than 17 years old. For Spirits sake, the kid should be on a ship someplace, safe and trying to talk another turian into blowing off steam. But instead he was here, watching his friends die every moment, seeing his world on fire… and being attacked by his General for not knowing what he hadn't had time to learn.

Garrus raised his hands to rub his face; Spirits he was tired. Looking at this kid, Xander Cleos, if he remembered correctly, he was taken back to three years ago, standing on the Citadel having the first human Spectre berate him for making a foolish mistake, for taking a shot without considering the rest of the situation.

Garrus' father had done everything in his power to teach his son to think before he acted; to be less hot headed, more patient. Amantius had yelled, shoved, bullied and glared at him and nothing had made Garrus hesitate. But Shepard's disappointment in him had done what years of his father's anger hadn't been able to. And now here he was, in the same position and rather than follow Shepard's path, he was on his fathers.

Garrus lowered his voice and stepped over to stand before the youth. "Cleos… Xander? Calm down… its fine."

The kid's head jerked up so fast that Garrus thought he was going to break his neck. Cleos eyes were as wide as a turians could get. Keeping his voice calm and soft, his sub-harmonics putting across gentle, soothing sounds, Garrus said, "Sometimes I forget how young some of you are… I'm not going to say I'm happy with the choice you made, and you could have definitely have thought it through better. But no one died, no one was badly hurt… and now you've learned something, right?"

The young soldier stood up straighter, his sub-harmonics calming as he said, hesitantly, "I'm sorry, General Vakarian… I didn't think it through… but I'll do better…."

Garrus nodded, gently clapping the kid on the shoulder and said, "I know you will, Xander… and that's why you're going to be a great soldier… you learn from your mistakes. I have faith in you; you think you can handle it, Corporal?"

Corporal Cleos stood straighter, his sub-harmonics thrumming with pride; he saluted and said "Yeah… definitely! Thank you, General…."

Garrus righted the chair he'd knocked over and sat down as he watched the young turian march out of the tent. The youth's words amused Garrus, but that humor was quickly gone. With a sigh, he rubbed his face again. He was tired, but if he was honest with himself, he'd have to admit that his quick temper had more to do with the state of his mate then his sleep situation. Turian's had long ago developed the ability to get by on little sleep, catching a few minutes here and there. But he was worried sick about Shepard.

Garrus was startled out of his introspective thoughts by Victus. "Vakarian… we need to move out. New orders…."

Garrus sighed, his head dropping backwards, rolling his neck side to side before standing up and nodding, "Yeah… on my way."

_**CHAPTER BREAK**_

Shepard marched into Udina's office, clearly furious with the Council's attitude. She used some of the tricks that she'd learned from Thane and Samara to calm herself, and was leaning on the desk when Udina stormed in, just as furious as Shepard. The two talked a moment, then both started as they heard the voice of the Turian Ambassador.

"Yes, our people are scared… and we are looking out for them the best we know how." Udina greeted the newcomer, but other than a nod, the Ambassador seemed to only have eyes for Shepard.

Moving to stand in a parade rest, the Ambassador began, "Commander… I cannot give you what you want, but I can tell you how to get it."

Watching the Ambassador, Shepard nodded, "I'm listening…."

"Primarch Fidorian called the war summit, but we lost contact with him when the Reapers hit Palavan. Those meetings won't proceed without him." The turian looked saddened, but then drew himself up and turned, facing the Commander once more. "The Normandy is one of the few ships that can extract the Primarch Fidorian undetected."

Shepard stepped forward, eyes narrowing a bit as she said, "So far you've only described how _I_ can help _you_."

Apparently unmoved by her sarcasm, the Ambassador went on, "It might seem that way. But the leaders of this summit will be the ones deciding the fate of our fleets, where they fight; and with whom. A grateful Primarch would be a tremendous ally in your bid to unite us."

Irritated, Shepard said, "We're at _**war**_ and you want me to play politician?"

"If it gets you what you need… what does it matter?" the Ambassador turned to walk over to the vid screens on the wall and with a grumble of irritation, Shepard joined him. "Our latest intelligence says that the Primarch was moved to a base on Palavan's largest moon. I've done all I can to help, the rest is up to you."

The Ambassador turned to leave the room and Udina joined Shepard at the vids screens, but the turian's voice drew both their attentions, "There is one other thing… the council wanted me to tell you that we've chosen to uphold your Spectre status." He keyed in a sequence to his Omni Tool and Shepard's glowed. She checked it and then looked back at the Ambassador, "And various resources will be made available to you. Good day."

Shepard and Udina watched the Ambassador leave the office, and then Shepard said, sarcastically, "Well… that went well."

Udina sat down at his desk, "It's a start… I'll talk to the others in the meantime. See if I can get a little more support."

_**CHAPTER BREAK**_

Before going back to the Normandy, Shepard went to catch up with Bailey in C-Sec, then to the hospital to check on Kaiden, who had been dropped off at Huerta Memorial hospital upon their arrival. Walking out of the elevator, Shepard stopped and laughed out loud. Standing there, wearing a small, dignified smile, hand clasped behind his back was Thane Krios. Shepard walked over to him, smiling and said, "Thane… you have no idea how happy I am to see you! How are you feeling?"

Thane took her hand, squeezing it between both of his, "I am well, Siha… I am happy to see you as well… I tried to write to you, but I do not believe the correspondence made it past security."

Shepard shook her head, "They kept a pretty tight control over me… but I'm happy to know that you were thinking of me. I've missed you, Thane."

He smiled at her, "And I you, Siha."

"Are you ready to come back to the Normandy?"

"I am… I will say goodbye to my son, pick up my bag and meet you on the ship."

"Good… it's not been the same without you, Thane… I have to visit Kaiden, but I'll meet you on the ship in a couple of hours."

Nodding his head, he let go of her hands and said, "As you wish, Siha…."

Shepard, still grinning, began walking toward the patients' area, and then turned, walking backwards as she said, "And Thane?"

He was still standing where he'd been standing, now he gazed at her quizzically "Yes, Siha?

She said, teasingly, "You still fill out those leathers nicely!"

She heard his surprised chuckled as she turned and kept walking, waving at him over her shoulder.

Shepard stood looking down at Kaiden's still form, he looked bad. His normally smooth skin was covered in deep, purple bruises. She'd purchased a bottle of whiskey for him and now she set it on his side table. Gazing at him, she said, "Get your ass moving, soldier!" There was no change, not that she expected it. She patted his shoulder and turned and left the room. Once in the lobby, she saw a welcome sight and a no-so welcomed sight. Dr. Chakwas was standing talking to Dr. Michel. Despite the fact that Shepard knew Garrus had no interest and really didn't even know that Dr. Michel was interested in him… she was still not impressed with the very pretty human doctor. But, Dr. Chakwas, was an entirely different story.

"Doctors… how is Kaiden?"

"He is stable… he has not regained consciousness… but all of his vitals are strong. I believe he will make a full recovery…." the doctor's French accent irritated Shepard, but then, almost everything about Dr. Michel irritated her.

Shepard nodded, "Thank you, Dr. Michel…. Dr. Chakwas… I thought you were going to be on the Normandy…."

Chakwas smiled knowingly, "I had an offer I really couldn't refuse… working in the lab allowed me to contact other Alliance soldiers who I felt would want to serve. However, now that you're back, I'm hoping you'll offer me my job back."

Shepard smiled at her, and started to speak, but was interrupted by Dr. Michel, "Commander… have you heard from Garrus?" Shepard frowned and turned to the doctor and said,

"He's on Palavan… we're going to pick him up soon…."

"So… he will be back on the Normandy?"

Shepard frowned, "Yeeesss… of course he will. We just have to pick up him up from Palavan…."

"Ahhh, will you be needing an additional physician on board your ship?" There was a haze of pure rage overcame Shepard, but before she could speak, Chakwas said, coolly,

"I believe I have the medical needs of the Normandy crew well under control, Dr. Michel. Shepard and Vakarian run a tight ship, but it's like a family."

Dr. Michel frowned, "Shepard and Vakarian? They run the ship…together?"

Pretending to be surprised, Chakwas said, "Oh, you didn't know? Shepard and Garrus are married… it was a very romantic ceremony…."

Shepard was very thankful for Chakwas' interruption, because she was just now getting a handle on the jealous rage. Dr. Michel looked heartbroken, and Shepard felt like gloating. To stop herself from being ungracious… more so than she already was, she said, "Dr. Chakwas, I'll see you on the ship. Dr. Michel, thanks for taking good care of Kaiden…."

Shepard turned and left the hospital, heading for her ship. She had a date with a Primarch… and her mate.

_**CHAPTER BREAK**_

"DAMMIT!" Garrus cursed in every language he could think of. He was coming from the left flank and trying to keep the Reapers off of Victus' Legion's flank.

"VAKARIAN!"

"Victus…."

"There's a heavy Reaper unit on my flank… **GET THAT THING THE HELL OFF MY MEN**!"

"Roger that, General…."

Garrus ordered his unit to follow him and headed toward the Reaper, taking a position on a high spot to snipe the Reaper unit while his men spread out to enter combat. Growling, Garrus found himself separated from both Victus and his men, and ended up making his way to the outpost run by General Corinthis. He knew that once he got a few minutes rest, and checked in with the General, he would be able to go back out and locate his Platoon, and his Legion. The turian military structure was a bit complex. There were a set number of soldiers in a company; a set number of companies in Platoon and a set number of platoons in a Legion. There were also divisions of "Generals". While there were exceptions the most common situation was that each company had a head whose rank was basically "Commander". Platoons were led by what a human would call a "One Star General". The Legions were held by 2 or 3 star Generals. The person in charge of the Legions in a geographic area were 3 or 4 Star Generals. Directly over that was the Primarch himself.

Unlike humans, turnians never felt the need to mark their rank by buttons or patches, nor did they mark their membership in their Legion, Platoon or Company. Instead, they used distinctive, at least to other turians, armor color design. Upon leaving the military, or upon gaining proper rank, the turian created his own armor that combined his military unit design with his family design.

The other thing that most other races didn't understand is that in the turian military, it wasn't about gaining rank. There was nothing wrong with staying a specific rank, advancement wasn't the goal, serving the Hierarchy and the turian people, So becoming a General had more than just military service behind it. Part of the advancement was based on family or clan lines. All of that became important for a turian who didn't consider himself a very good turian, but who had been appointed to lead a task force and had a very old and respected family line. And when you realized that the position of Primarch was held by a General… well, Garrus had a lot of reasons to pray to the Spirits that Primarch Fidorian stayed healthy.

Garrus growled as he dove into cover and a wave of husks and cannibals came out of the rocks toward him. He really hated up close combat… that was always his mate's choice. He'd rather stay back and snipe. Not to mention he was far more deadly as a sniper. But, you did what you had to, and since these creatures hadn't been nice enough to announce their presence before he nearly ran into them, well… he'd fight in close quarters.

Just as he killed the last of them, something strange happened. His chest began to vibrate and he felt a heat building. Thinking that he'd been shot, he frantically looked to see where the hole in his armor was, but found nothing. As the heat got to near painful, he realized it was his Stone… and using his mouth to pull off his gauntlet, he dug the stone out from his armor and gasped. The stone was a vivid purple, and shot with lines of milky, iridescence. Then he felt it, like a kick to the gut, his mate was HERE! She was close… and she was in danger!

A near howl escaped from his throat as his sub-harmonics churned out long growls and deep throated trills, torn between being thrilled she was here, and furious she was in danger. Shoving the Stone back into his armor, he turned and began to run toward the outpost. It was nearly nine miles from him, through the worst of the Reapers and their units… but it didn't matter, his mate needed him.

_**CHAPTER BREAK**_

"General, your communications tower should be up and running…."

"Great work, Commander… come back to the outpost… we have word for you from Palavan command."

As Liara dropped down from the ladder, Shepard turned to Thane and Vega and said, "Ok, let's move back to the General's position… the sooner we find out who this Primarch is, the sooner we can get him. Garrus was on this moon. She knew it, she felt it. There was no question and she was going to pull the moon, and every Reaper on it, apart to find him… just as soon as they had secured the Primarch.

As they got back to the outpost, the General spoke "as your partner said, succession is usually simple, but right now, everything is in chaos… so many dead or MIA…."

Frustrated, irritated and anxious to find her mate, she said, "I don't care who it is, I just need someone, and I don't care who, as long as they can get us the turian resources we need."

Just then a familiar, flanging voice said, "I'm on it, Shepard… we'll find you the Primarch."

Shepard felt her heart skip, her body go into something similar to the state she went in when she shot… slowed down, every action detailed. The only thing that stopped her from flinging herself into his arms were the turians' around them and the mission. She wasn't sure how much Garrus had told the other military officers and she didn't want to interfere in his career. She'd die before she'd let her love for him screw up his life. Garrus, for his part seemed glad to see her… even if was just in a friendly, non-committal way. This was NOT how she'd seen their reunion going.

General Corinthus said, "General Vakarian… I didn't see you arrive…" and saluted Garrus. Shepard narrowed her eyes, and filed that away for future reference.

"You're… alive…." Shepard's words were a bit hoarse, and Garrus stepped forward, reaching for her. Shepard thought everything was going to be fine… but he only took her hand and said. "I'm hard to kill; you should know that."

Trying to cover the beating of her heart that she knew all the turian's could hear, she decided on, "I thought you'd be on Palavan…."

"IF we lose this moon, we lose Palavan…."

Shepard was determined to follow Garrus' lead in this, so she simply introduced him to James as a 'hell of a soldier who helped her stop the collectors". Garrus greeted Liara and Thane with the warmth you'd expect from old teammates. Then turned to Shepard, all business once again,  
>"General Corinthus filled me in… we know who we're after."<p>

The other General felt the tension and filed it away for future reference, saying, "Palavan command tells me the next Primarch is General Adrian Victus…. "

Liara frowned, "Victus, his name's crossed my desk."

Turning to Garrus, she tamped down viciously on the need and the pain and said, trying for normal, "know him Garrus?"

"I was fighting beside him this morning. Lifelong military, gets results; popular with his troops… not so popular with military command. Has a reputation for playing loose with accepted strategy".

Frowning, Shepard said, "What do you mean?" At least this conversation kept her from throwing herself at her mate and ripping his armor off in the middle of a war camp.

It was Liara who told her that on Taetrus during the uprisings, his squad had found a group of Salarian Spy Rings about the time the turian separatists group had. Victus had pulled his men back and allowed the two enemies to destroy each other. Then he had waded in and taken them both down, and didn't lose a man. Shepard was impressed with his ingenuity, but she understood how an organization as strict as the turian military would not be as amused.

General Corinthus admitted it was bold strategy, but warned that didn't get you moved up the meritocracy. Garrus told her that seeing "Primarch Victus" would be something to see and when she asked if he could vouch for him, Garrus pointed out that they both knew conventional strategy wasn't going to beat the reapers, and that he could be their best shot. Garrus hesitated, then finished with, "I trust him".

That was all the Commander needed, "Ok, let's get him and get out of here."

As they prepared to head out Joker cam over the com and told Shepard that something was happening on the Normandy… so she sent Liara to check it out and continued the mission with Thane, who was ever the dignified shadow on her six, and Vega.

Before they could head out to search for Victus, a Harvester decided to drop off some new playthings, so Shepard, Garrus and her crew took to the walls to protect the outpost.

_**CHAPTER BREAK**_

Garrus smelled his mate before he saw her and he was just about ready to stride up the stairs to fling his arms around her and hug her, never letting her go, to hell with the war, Reapers and everything else; until he saw Thane on her six. She'd gone for the Drell before coming for him… her mate. Garrus' mind went back to all the times he'd found her stone in the colors that meant relaxed, content and a cold hand of dread reached up and grabbed his gizzard. He viciously tamped down on his sub-harmonic keening. IF she'd found comfort in the arms of the Drell, he wouldn't say anything. He had always wondered if the mating he felt so strongly about, was actually reciprocated. Oh, he knew she loved him… but he wondered if the connection was the same. Apparently not. He forced himself into a professional attitude and strode up to the little group. He was determined to do what had to be done… even if his heart felt as though it were breaking and being burned into a million pieces of ash.

Before they could go find the Primarch, they had to deal with a bunch of reapers forces, thanks to a Harvester. When Shepard fell off the ledge from the big gun his gizzard clenched, and then flew up into his throat. He didn't miss how Thane followed her down, always watching her six. Spirits be damned, Thane was in HIS place… and even if Thane had replaced him in her bed, there was no way in hell that he'd replaced him on the Commander's six.

On the way to find Victus, Garrus stopped them and pointed up to Palavan, hanging there in the sky and said, "See that big orange glow? That's my home…."

Both Vega and Thane followed his eyes and were silent, watching the burning of Garrus' world. Shepard, on the other hand, stepped up to Garrus and rested a hand on his shoulder, her voice soft, "I'm sorry, Garrus… have you heard from Amantius or Solana?"

Garrus eyes softened despite his previous determination, he raised a hand, hesitating, then gently touched his talon to her face. "No…" Spirits, his voice sounded weak. He tried to make it stronger as he continued, "Nothing… the last I heard, they were still at the house…." Shepard stepped close to him, hand sliding to his cowl, then to touch his cheek,

"I'm… Damn Garrus… Amantius and Solana are smart… they'd have gotten to safety. I…", but Garrus was a coward, he determined, because he didn't want to hear her tell him they're relationship was over, or give him some damn pity talk. So he turned and started back on the path, leaving Shepard to watch him, trying to force the tears back down. Vega was shocked by the carnage and made a comment that he wanted to be back on earth, that leaving the fight just pissed him off. Garrus, in typical Garrus fashion, pointed out that they were here to convince Victus to do the very same thing.

A turian fighter crashed near them and Shepard insisted on checking to see if either the pilot or co-pilot lived; unfortunately neither did. Garrus made a determined to effort to be normal; wise cracking and making comments just like old times.

As they ran, Vega asked, "So Lola… you really think this summit will work? I mean, asari? salarian? Where's the krogan and batarian? Where's the meat?"

Thane, usually quiet on missions, spoke softly, "I agree with Mr. Vega… I fear the success of the mission will be in jeopardy if we cannot include all the sentient beings."

Shepard sighed, "It's not that easy…."

"The batarians were the first hit when the Reapers arrived, there's not much left. The krogan have never forgiven us for the genophage…" Garrus explained,

"Yeah…turians sterilized them…" Vega snarked.

"Salarians came up with the plan…" Garrus tried to rationalize, but Shepard interrupted him, still running and gunning ahead,

"And the krogan hate them both for it."

"So they won't be joining us…" Garrus dropped down a small hill as he spoke, and Thane followed directly after him,

"This does not bode well, Siha."

"We run with the hand we're given, Thane…."

In response to Garrus' statement, Vega said, "Too bad about the krogan, I've fought with them they're tough sons of bitches…."

Eventually, they found Victus, and he was, of course, under fire. Shepard called, "Ok, double time… no one's taking this Primarch from me!"

"On it, Siha…" acknowledged Thane as Vega chimed in,

"Right behind you…."

Garrus said nothing, just stayed with her, watching her six. They managed to clear the outside of the compound and headed inside, taking on one final brute on the way in. Shepard, of course, ran in first and when the thing charged at her, Garrus felt his gizzard clench again. Dropping down to a crouch, he began firing into the thing repeatedly, drawing its attention. As Lia ducked behind a rock, Garrus saw Thane, almost directly opposite Lia, rise up and begin to shoot the creature as well. Between them, they brought down its shields and kept its attention off of Shepard until she managed to get her shields back and stand up, her own rifle crack as she finished it off. That action turned the tide and with a few more battles, they made it to Victus.

Shepard walked up to Victus, "General Victus?"

Walking down the ramp, his mandible fluttered in mild confusion as he said, "Yes…?"

'I'm Commander Shepard of the Normandy…."

"Ahh, Commander. I know who you are… I can't wait to find out what brings you out here." Then turning to Garrus on her right, he said, "Vakarian… where did you go?"

Garrus smirked, mandible widening slightly, amusement in his voice, "Heavy reaper unit on the right flank? I believe your exact words were 'get that thing the hell off my men.'

Victus sounded sarcastic, but friendly as he replied, "Appreciated."

Then Shepard stepped up, bring the conversation back to point, "General, you're needed off planet. I've come to get you…"

Victus looked away a moment, "It will take something beyond important for me to leave my men. Or my turian brothers and sisters in their fight."

Garrus stepped forward, falling into the familiar role with ease as he said, tag teaming with Shepard, "Fidorian was killed. You're the new Primarch"

Shepard took back over, "You're needed immediately to chair a summit and represent your people in their struggle against the reapers."

Victus walked past them, moving to stand where he could look up at Palavan. Almost in a whisper he said, "I'm Primarch of Paladin? Negotiating for the Turian Hierarchy?"

"Yes."

Turning back to face them, Victus replied, "I've spent my whole life in the military, I'm no diplomat… I hate diplomats…."

Standing strong, Shepard said, "War is your resume. At a time like this, we need leaders who've been through that hell."

Victus shrugged, "Put it like that… you're right."

"And honestly, uniting these races might take as much strength as facing the Reapers." She walked over to the bluff, turning to face them and said, "See this devastation, Primarch? Double that for Earth. I need an Alliance. I need the turian fleet"

Victus moved past the others to stand facing Shepard. She stood at attention, meeting his eyes and for a moment, Garrus sensed the Primarch's pheromones spike, and growled deep in his throat. Thane looked at him, quietly, but ready to intercede if necessary, but then the Primarch said, "Give me a moment to say goodbye to my men."

Still angry, frustrated and irritated, Garrus stalked up to Shepard and said, "Without him down here, there's a good chance we lose this moon…."

But she faced him down as she always had, "Without him up there, there's a good chance we lose everything."

Garrus wanted nothing more at that moment than to throw his mate down on the rocky soil of Menae, rip her armor off and take her; make sure that at least her body knew where it belonged. In order to distract himself, he turned to the Reaper in the distance and said, "Look at that thing… and they want my opinion on how to stop it?" His voice was incredulous and self-depreciating as he continued, "Failed C-Sec officer… vigilante… and I'M their expert advisor?" He glanced at her, but all he could see was his mate slipping from him, so he turned again and asked, "Think you can win this thing, Shepard?"

She turned to him, her eyes suspiciously moist, she had no idea what was Garrus was feeling or thinking; he'd definitely not shown the actions she'd expected from her mate. "Shesh… I don't know, Garrus. But I'm sure going to give it my best shot."

Garrus gave up on having any pride, he had to go with her, even if it meant watching her living, being happy, with someone else, or just not with him, "I'm damn sure nobody else can do it. For what it's worth, Shepard… I'm with you."

Fear trilled in him, that she'd shoot him down, tell him he needed to stay here… but instead, she smiled and it warmed her eyes, though they were still sad as she said, offering him her hand, "Welcome aboard." Garrus thought he saw something in her eyes but before he could chase that fleeting sign, she turned her to right and asked, "Are you ready, Primarch Victus?"

The Primarch left his men, and said, "One thing… Commander, I appreciate your need our fleets, but I can't spare them… not while my world is burning. But… if the pressure could be taken off Palavan…" he let his words trail off, and Shepard observed him, head tilted as she said,

"That's a pretty tall order."

"We need the krogan. I can't see us winning this thing without them. Get them to help us, and then we can help you."

Shepard looked pensive, "The krogan…."

Smirking, because he recognized her expression, Garrus said, "Looks like your summit just got a lot more interesting."

Shepard said nothing, just turned to walk away, as Thane called for a pickup by their shuttle.

END

_Yes, cliffy… sorry bout that! Poor Garrus… he, as usual, jumped to the WRONG conclusion, LOL. Next time, we'll see how it works out. I know a lot of you were looking forward to the reunion… maybe next chapter the two will find their way through the obstacle course of their love life. It's never easy with Garrus and Shepard…. Luckily, Shep has a better idea of things now…._


	36. Scene 32

Arriving back on the Normandy, Shepard had Vega show Garrus and the Primarch to the War Room while she took care of the necessary responsibilities on the ship. Talking to Joker, she had him negotiate his way, cloaked, past the Reapers to the Mass Relay and start toward the Citadel.

"Twenty two hours to the Citadel, Commander…" for once, Joker was serious as he continued to battle with intermittent system issues. Then Shepard was then called to a quantum entanglement meeting with the Asari Representative from the Council. Upon informing them that she, upon the turian's request, would be seeking krogan input, the asari had some bad news for her. There was bad blood between the salarian and krogan people, and the salarians objected to having the krogan included in any summit. The asari had made the decision that the summit was not going to be successful and they refused to participate.

Immediately after that communication ended, Hackett was on the line, and Shepard told him she'd gotten the Primarch, but the asari refused to participate. Never one for hysterics, Hackett reaffirmed that unity was necessary at this point, and the asari would regret the decision.

Hackett told her a bit more about the attack on Earth, how the Reapers had slipped up on them. Then the discussion turned to the help that she'd managed to acquire, and Hackett ordered her to keep him posted, and then ended the communication.

Shepard turned and hurried into the War Room, thinking Garrus would be there, but to her surprise, the Primarch was all alone. She walked up to him and he thanked her for the use of her ship. They spoke for a few minutes on the situation and she let him know the Asaris' decision. He acknowledged that there might been too much bad blood between the krogan and the rest of the species but affirmed that their help was necessary. After a few minutes, Shepard cleared her throat and hesitantly, she asked, "Do you know where Garrus went?"

The Primarch observed her in silence for a few minutes, seeming to weigh something in his mind then said, "Garrus said something about needing to finish some calibrations…."

Shepard smiled; it was just so like Garrus, she could even hear him saying it in his flangy voice. She realized that she was sighing like a love sick cow and that the Primarch was watching her. Forcing her attention back to reality, she bid him goodbye and went to find her mate. She wasn't sure what the hell was going on, but she was sure going to find out. They'd come too far to let something stupid mess with them now. Thinking that Garrus had probably gone to their quarters, she hurried to the elevator and rode it to the loft.

She stopped just outside her door and tried to make herself presentable; straightening her tunic, patting her hair, then strode in the door to find… nothing. She looked around; expecting to at least see Garrus' bag, but the room was exactly as she'd left it that morning. She glanced in the bathroom; empty. She went to the nest, and glanced over the edge; empty. Then she went to the closet, thinking he might have hung his things up, but the only things of Garrus in the closet were the ship clothes he'd left there. Shepard tapped her finger on her tooth and sighed, turning, she asked, "Edi… where is Garrus?"

"Gen… Officer Vakarian is in the Main Battery, Commander"

Shepard noticed the hesitation, but figured it was something to do with the issues on board the ship. She shook her head and headed toward the elevator. She really should shower and get ready, but damn it, finding her mate was FAR more important.

_**CHAPTER BREAK**_

Arriving at the Normandy, it did not skip Garrus' attention that Shepard ordered the new kid, Vega, to show he and the Primarch the new war room, keeping the Drell with her. It was all he could do to not keen, but he forced himself to remain professional. He'd made his mind up… even if it killed him, and it might as bad as it hurt, he was going to be on Shepard's six, even if their relationship was over. He and the Primarch were engaged in a heated discussion when Shepard walked past them into the communication room, so he hadn't noticed her.

"I need to check out the weapon systems… they're most likely in need of some calibrations…" Garrus finally said, looking away.

The Primarch observed him, considering, then said, "Of course… I'll speak with you soon…."

Garrus wanted to badly to go find his mate… even it if meant hearing the "we can't see each other anymore" speech, but in the end, he was a coward. So he grabbed his bag and headed toward the one place he knew to be a safe haven; the main battery.

"General Vakarian…" Edi began, but Garrus spun around to speak to the hologram just inside the door to the Main Battery,

"Edi… do NOT use my rank… nor tell Shepard anything about it. If I want her to know, I'll tell her myself."

There was a long moment when Edi seemed almost frozen, then said "Very well, Officer Vakarian… I will not, however, lie to the Commander. IF she asks me, I will be forced to tell her…."

Garrus sighed, that was fair. And he imagined at some point his very curious and inquisitive mate would certainly ask. But, at least now, he had some time to figure everything out. He busied himself with the main guns, tossing his bag into the corner. He wasn't sure what his sleeping arrangements would be, and he thought longingly of his nest, but the image of his mate and the Drell in there made him physically ill. Growling, he threw himself into the calibrations, at least that hadn't changed.

_**CHAPTER BREAK**_

Shepard was heading for the Main Battery, when there was a power outage and everything just went off line. Before she could contact Joker, he contacted her; something was happening with Edi… she'd just gone offline and Shepard cursed as she changed her direction to go to the AI core. At the core, she found two crew members with fire extinguishers. Hearing a strange sound she asked,

"What's that noise, Joker?"

Joker replied, "Fire extinguishers, Commander… could be an electrical fire… or something."

The crewmen gave her the all clear, and she announced, "I'm going in…" the doors opened and one of the crewmen sprayed a coating of extinguisher, before she walked in calling, "Edi? Talk to me…" then nearly went into a crouch as the air scrubbers began to pull the smoke from the room. Up the middle of the room walked the synthetic body of Dr. Eva and Shepard went for the gun she wasn't carrying. But, the mech spoke in Edi's voice,

"Is there a particular topic you wish to discuss, Shepard?" one of the crewmen pulled a gun on her, but Shepard ordered him to back off and said incredulous,

"Edi? You're in doctor Eva's body…" mentally smacking herself; 'hello Commander Obvious', as Jack would say, but Edi answered the question calmly anyway,

"Not all of me… but I have control of it. It was not a… seamless transition…."

"You blacked out on us there, for a while…" Shepard winced, her voice sounded whiney, which she hated, but Edi explained that when she was mining the body for information, she'd triggered a trap and been forced to do battle to overcome it. Edi also suggested that the unit would allow her to be much more helpful on missions that were off the ship. That thought, for some reason, made Shepard nervous, but she just said, "First you run diagnostics… make sure there aren't any more surprises…." To her surprise, Edi did so… immediately. Feeling pressed for time, Shepard tried for non-committal about taking Edi's shiny new body off ship… and Edi agreed, saying that her first priority was repairing the systems damaged in the melee.

With a frown, Shepard told her, "Just don't be surprised if the crew is a little… weary of your new body. It _was_ just shooting at them a while ago."

"An excellent point, I will take it to the bridge… Joker will want to see it."

Shepard smirked, looking at the sexy, curvaceous mech and said, as Edi walked out, "On that, we can agree."

Finally free to go after her own life, Shepard headed to the Main battery.

_**CHAPTER BREAK**_

When she walked in the Main battery, Garrus was, as usual, calibrating. But, he was also speaking to the Primarch. They spoke of casualty reports and Garrus told him he was getting the same ones. Then Garrus told Victus that Shepard was an old friend of Wrex and that if anyone could pull it off, it was her. As his conversation ended, Shepard felt self-conscious, so instead of throwing the turian to the ground and riding him into submission she said, quietly, trying to keep the pain from her voice,

"Garrus… didn't waste any time getting back to work, I see."

Garrus forced a light reply, "After what I've been through lately, calibrating a giant gun is a vacation. Gives me something to focus on."

Shepard tried for subtlety, "We're going to need you for more than your aim…."

Garrus hesitated he didn't want to read the situation wrong, or say the wrong thing, so he said, "Oh I'm ready for it… but I'm pretty sure we'll need giantt guns… and lots of them."

Shepard frowned, "I Can't argue with that. I… expected you to put your things in our cabin…."

Garrus fluttered his mandibles, and then held them tight. Perhaps she hadn't taken the Drell to their nest… but she HAD gone for him first that had to mean something, right? Carefully, trying not to jump to conclusions though his gizzard clenched with hopeful fear. Keep it light, he told himself firmly, and for Spirits sake don't mention the Drell…. "Yea So… is this the part where we… shake hands? I wasn't sure on the protocol reunions… I'd hoped… I mean…." Hopeful blue eyes watched Shepard and saw her relax just a bit. "The scars are… starting to fade. I remember how they drove you wild… but I can go out and get all new ones if you…."

Subtlety was lost on her mate, she knew that. So she just stepped forward in his arms FINALLY! and kissed him, raising her hands around his cowl, she clung to him, letting the tears fall, and pushing her body as tightly to him as she could. She tried to pour every second of their time apart, ever tear, every terror and separation pain into that kiss. And she drew from him every one of his pain filled minutes apart from her, every keen, and every thought of her apart from him. She pressed herself against him and felt her Stone, in the inner pocket vibrate and move toward him. Garrus felt his stone doing the same and reached into his armor to remove it. Shepard did the same and the two stones gave a "clank" as they attached themselves as Shepard continued to press her body against Garrus.

Breaking the kiss, Shepard looked at their Stones, vivid, cobalt blue then at Garrus and said,  
>"Whatever it is that happened, whatever you're feeling above this… you're my mate and I'll move heaven, Earth and everything in between to get back to your side. I love you Garrus… I get that you might have changed your mind…."<p>

"WHAT!" Garrus sounded so shocked, so… irritated at that comment that she stopped, frowning. Garrus glared at her, his mandibles alternating between flicking and flattening then said, "Shepard… Lia… turians can't _change their minds_ about being bondmated… I figured out it doesn't work the same way for humans… that while you love me, you don't have the connection with me I do with you… I know you love me, PLEASE give me another chance… I… I won't be selfish, I swear. I just need to have you with me… once in a while…."

Now it was Shepard's time to glare "Garrus, you're not making sense…. Ok, that's it. This stops. I will NOT let this inter-species _THING_ kill what we have. I can't promise we'll have the forever I want with you… but we're not going to let some bullshit come between us…. Let's go up to our quarters and talk this out…."

Garrus frowned, he didn't want to scent her with another male, but he couldn't argue with her. Mandibles tight to his face, he nodded, "Let's go…." As they made their way out of the battery, Shepard pointed to his bag and said, "Grab that…."

He hesitated, he didn't want the crew to see him carrying it to her quarters and back down again. IN the end, she wouldn't take no for answer and with a muttered oath, he grabbed his bag and followed her to the elevator.

_**CHAPTER BREAK**_

The door opened into the quarters they'd shared and Garrus took an experimental sniff but sensed no other male. Heaving a sigh of relief, he acknowledged he might have read the signs wrong, so he dropped his bag off near the closet and turned to her, surprised she was already beginning to un-do the seals on his hard suit. He sighed and helped her until he was down to his under suit. She then went to work on that with a single minded objective that would have made him smile if this wasn't life or death. Carefully he wrapped his taloned hands around her wrists and stilled her actions, looking down at her, he saw the flash of pain, hurt and despair as she asked,  
>"You don't want me to touch you?"<p>

He looked at her in shock, then said, "Spirits yes, I want you to touch me…" she looked pointedly at his hands holding her wrists, and he continued, "But we need to talk first."

He saw the tears then, and was totally confused, and when she spoke, he was shocked into silence, "I get it, Garrus… you had to blow off steam. It…" she sighed "I… I won't say it doesn't matter, because it does… it fucking kills me. But I get it. I knew it was going to be an issue, and if you're not too attached to her, if you're ok with just me, I can… let it go…."

"WHAT THE HELL, SHEPARD! I told you that wasn't going to happen. For Spirits sake… where did that come from?"

Shepard shrugged, she'd stripped her pride from herself, and she had none left now. She'd weighed her love for her mate against her pride and found that keeping her mate, even if she had to share him, was more important to her than pride… than knowing she was enough for him. She'd always thought she wouldn't be… that eventually he'd _need_ a turian female. But the way he was acting was confusing the fuck out of her.

"Look, Garrus… I get it. I was confused at first, the way you acted on the planet… and on the shuttle. But I get it now. You don't want your friends… your comrades to know about me. I get it… I'm human, and that must be embarrassing for you… and we were apart for a long time. At first when you acted like you did, I thought maybe you'd changed your mind. But in the Main Battery, you pretty much said you were still bonded to me, so whoever she was, she isn't your Bondmate, I am" no small amount of pride in those words, "So I figured it out… you had to blow off steam and now you're not sure how I'll react."

Garrus was staring at her in utter shock, his mouth moved periodically, but no sound came out. So she pushed on, like the bull in the china shop her mother always accused her of being. "So don't worry… I have no pride where you're concerned. I thought I did… sometimes I wish I did. Part of me wishes I could say, "fuck you", and just turn and walk away. But I'm bonded to you past all reason, all pride. I can't live without you… because there is no Shepard without Vakarian… and without you, the galaxy is empty. So if I have to occasionally… share you… then that's the price I have to pay to be with you, even once in a while."

Garrus shook his head, trying to make sense of the words from his mate's mouth, feeling like he was stuck in that book Shepard had told him about… Alice in Wonderland, where everything was wrong, but looked the same.

Shepard saw Garrus shake his head with the strangest look on his face and the soldier part of her, the one with some manner of pride, wanted her to tell him to get the hell out… to go back to his turian piece of ass and leave her the hell alone. Then she thought of the nights, the days of the rest of her life, long or short and thought of them without Garrus and that shut the soldier up. Tears in her eyes, she tried one final time; if he still turned her away, she'd go… she'd let him go. "Please… please Garrus… I'll… anything. A night, a day... I'll do…."

But Garrus shook his head again and Shepard slumped, he'd made up his mind then, and she wasn't it… bonding or not, and she had no doubt of their bond, he didn't want to deal with her baggage. Who could blame him, really; human, probably early death, no children…. She tried to get some control, tell him it was okay, but it wasn't. She tried to turn, to do… something. Raising a hand to swipe at the tears; the dust and dirt from Menae almost looked like clan markings on her. But Garrus grabbed her shoulders, kept her from turning, then his taloned hand reached down and took her chin, and she realized his hand was shaking.

"Lia… hush." This was it, he was going to send her away… tell her they were too different, that he'd found… something else. She cast her eyes away, unable to see pity in his eyes, unable to face him with no pride left in her. But he reached up both hands to cup her face and turn her face, forcing her to look at him. She felt her breath catch, swallowed hard, tried to be strong when her world, her life was circling the drain. Garrus stared hard into her eyes, as though he were reading her soul. IF she'd been listening, she'd have heard his sub-harmonics, but she was too caught in her own agony.

When Lia had first started talking, Garrus had thought she was getting ready to break it off with him… when she'd finished, he'd realized that human or not, she was just as bonded to him as he was to her. She was, outside these doors, the strongest woman he'd ever met; the solider who would die, had died, to save the galaxy. She was a hardened solider who killed when necessary, saved when possible and made people want to follow her even against impossible odds; then brought them through, victorious. But here, in this room, in his arms, she was Lia. A woman, a female with emotions who loved him more than her pride… more, perhaps, than her own life. She'd begged him to stay with her, the woman who never begged, never allowed anything to come between her and her principles. A woman, a soldier, who stood as a vanguard to every species of the galaxy, not because she wanted to, but because that's how life had worked out.

"You go with the hand you've got."

Her words on Menae came back to him and a story of another card game, far in earth's past when a man had been killed holding three aces and two eights; a dead man's hand. That was, outside this room, the hand she held. Winning, but maybe costing her everything. But here in their room, she had a winning hand, and he was just realizing that he did too. He lowered his head and ran his tongue over her lips, nuzzling her face. He felt, rather than heard her sigh, felt her arch, almost boneless into his body. Even now, she was willing to accept anything he gave her, no matter how big or small, just to have one more moment. She honestly thought he'd turn her away; that he _**could**_ turn her away. She didn't know that her life was his. She'd said there was no Shepard without Vakarian, but there also no Vakarian without Shepard. They were a pair and despite the odds, they were going to bluff their way through everything to find what happiness they could.

Garrus knew something else, in that split second, no matter what it seemed like; she hadn't chosen the Drell… hadn't chosen **THANE** over him. However Thane had come back on the ship, it wasn't because she'd chosen to get him first… nor had Thane replaced him in any way, not on her six, not in her nest, not in her life or her heart. Garrus had been wrong. He had, once more, jumped to conclusions and in doing so had hurt his mate.

Garrus gazed down at her, eyes closed, standing on her toes to be closer to him, face pushed close to him. Begging for one more touch, one more taste… and he swore on his mother's spirit that she would never have to beg him again. Slowly he lowered his face to nuzzle her eyes, pressing his lip plates against them. His hands slid from her face to her hands and he brought them to his face and nuzzled them. He gazed into her eyes and saw agony, pain… hopelessness and he was determined to wipe it out of his mate's eyes. He drew her hands to the closure of his under-armor and she glanced at him quickly, questioning. He widened his mandibles in his turian grin and slid his hands down to his mate's waist, holding her close to him, letting her undo the skin tight body suit.

Shepard's hands shook as Garrus placed them on his under-armor. Hesitantly, in case she misunderstood, she glanced at him, and saw the love in his eyes shining down at her. Part of her soul surged with hope, but she viciously tamped it down, this may not be what he was intending… perhaps this was her final time with him, before he moved on. She didn't bother to wipe the tears that poured from her eyes; he did that for her… with his tongue. She undid the clasps, growing bolder as she went until, sliding it off his shoulders and over his arms. He shoved it off his arms, then over his legs, taking care not to damage his spurs.

Shepard gazed at him, her eyes caressing him almost carried weight, and when a new flood of tears came from her eyes, he lowered his head and lapped at them, taking them away and pressing his lip plates to her eyes. Her hands ghosted over him, his chest, arms, shoulders, head, fringe. He raised a hand to her, slowly pulling the heavy shirt with the hood over her head, then undoing her pants and sliding them off her body. She stood in her bra and underwear, shivering with her nipples drawn hard by the chill.

"Edi… turn the heat up in her by 5 degrees, please." She gave him a mute thank you, and he lowered his head, kissing her until she clung to him senseless. He ran a hand over her bra and thanked the spirits he'd gotten better at undoing them. He slid it off her body, exposing her breasts to him, and she drew her hands up to cover herself. Mandibles clanking, he took her wrists and drew her hands away, "Stop that… I love your breasts…." And suiting action to words, lower his head to lap and worship them Her head dropped back and only his arm locked behind her kept her from falling backwards. She ran her hands over his fringe, stroking him, her nails caressing the soft skin beneath. He purred; loving the feel of her hands on him and emboldened, her other hand began to stroke his plates, over his groin. He felt his plates shift, quicker than ever. His body had been denied so long, it was more than ready for his mate.

Garrus slid two talons into the sides of panties and slid them off her body. Pulling her close to him, he let his erection prove how much he wanted her and she arched toward him, mewing in need. Garrus slipped his arm under her knees, his other arm already behind her, and lifted her, nuzzling her, butting her forehead with his, nipping gently at her chin, her throat. She dropped her head back with a moan and he nuzzled and nipped her neck, loving the scar where he'd marked her.

He stepped carefully into their nest and lowered her to the bedding, kneeling over her, gazing at her for a long moment, mandibles wide. Then he lower himself to his belly, his hands sliding up her legs as she began to writhe already, and he hadn't even touched her yet. Gently, he separated the lips of her pussy, gazing at her with adoration plain on his face. Then he lowered his tongue to her, lapping at her nether lips, sliding his mouth down to slide his tongue inside her, her gasp and moan made his cock throb. He slid a talon into her, but she wasn't even close to wet enough.

Smiling, he left the talon inside her and began a judicious application of his tongue on her clit. She gasped and arched, moaning his name and he widened his mandibles that sound was the most beloved sound he'd ever heard… next to her sigh of completion. He kept the pressure on her clit, licking, rubbing it with his nose and chin, his talon inside her, slowing moving in and out. It took very little time, before she was writhing in earnest, arching and tossing head. Only his heavier body, kept her beneath him. He felt the warm, wetness of her climax coat his finger and he drew his talon out, as she mewed in disappointment, then sucked all her fluids off his talon. He was more than ready for her, but he didn't want to hurry this; the first time back together in months wasn't a time for quick, hard, sex; though he loved that with her too. No this was a time for slow, steady making love. Showing her what his words obviously hadn't; that he loved her, that she was the only female he'd ever want.

Garrus rose above her, her half closed eyes gazing at him. He knew his voice made her hot, so he purposely lowered it to a purring growl, put his mouth close to her ear and asked, "How many times did you please yourself there on Earth? Stuck in that room? Away from our nest? How many times did you fingers slide over your belly to touch your clit, rubbing it until you came, calling my name?" He moaned at the shiver that went through her as his hands put his words to action, sliding over her belly to begin stroking her clit, rubbing it. She moaned, arching toward his hand, but his voice was back, "how many times, amica? How often did you do this to yourself?"

Suddenly she tenses and cried out, arching into his touch, cumming hard and fast. As she slid back down, panting, Garrus couldn't wait any longer. He wanted to make it last forever, draw it out, but when she reached out and gripped his cock, her hand sliding over him and he realized she was using her own fluids to lube him, he growled and moved closer between her legs. Putting just the head of his cock in her pussy, then making several shallow thrusts, before thrusting deep, burying him inside her to the hilt as she screamed his name, arching to meet him. He wanted to go slow, to draw it out… but it had been too long and there was too much emotion. He moved so that her legs were over his forearms, and the line of plate on his belly rubbed against her clit with each thrust, then let go, thrusting wildly inside her.

He grunted, growled and moaned, hearing her breath catch as he slid home once more inside her, grinding their pelvises together. It was too much for his mate, who came spectacularly, eyes wide and meeting his own. The spasms of her tunnel almost brought him then and there, but he managed to get enough control to bring her once more, her body arching, writing beneath him. Hands clutching, legs drawing, her entire body was used to draw him into her, to milk him of his seed. Gripping her close to him, he lowered his head to her ear and whispered, "I love you amica… there is NO ONE else for me but you… **this**__is all I need, all I want… all that sustains me. Ka'herta jafcleet laspah amica…."

Turning her head, her voice thick with emotion and hoarse from crying out her pleasure, she whispered, "ka'herta jafcleet laspah amica. I love you too, Garrus…."

He changed the angle of his thrusts, bring her yet again and as she went over the edge, pleasure tearing at her, her body coming apart at the seams, he thrust once more and nearly howled, shoot his release into her, his teeth closing around the scar on her shoulder, breaking the surface of the scar once again. Holding her place as he met his climax, bringing her yet again over the edge to join him.

Afterward they lay, entwined in their nest and Shepard idly rubbed her face against his chest. She moved slightly so she could look at him, and he cracked one eye open to meet hers. He knew what she was going to ask and he really didn't want to get into it. She said,

"Garrus… what happened?"

Shaking his head and closing the one eye he'd cracked, he said, "Frustration. Exhaustion. Stupidity. A lot of jumping to conclusions. Can we just leave it there, please Amica? I'm here… you're here… we're both in it for the duration… succeed or fail, live or die….We're in this together… but there was **NEVER** anyone else, amica….**NEVER**; can that be enough for now?"

Shepard watched him, then smiled, pressing into him, rubbing her cheek on him and snuggling close, "We're good?"

Not bothering to open his eyes, he was far too relaxed, he just said, "Yea, amica… we're good… we're together and Spirits be damned if we're EVER separated again…."

She snuggled closer to him, sighed and closed her eyes resting in his arms. Her arms rested against him, her head tucked up under his chin. Relaxed, completely satiated, secure, she began to drift off to sleep. For the first time in months, she thought it might be ok, that things might work out. She had her mate, she was in his arms, they had the ship… and between the two of them and all their make shift family members, the Reapers didn't stand a chance.

With that thought in mind, she drifted off to sleep, curled in the arms of her mate and was protected, so no dreams interfered.


	37. Scene 33

_**Ok, first I want to thank everyone who has taken the time to review… you guys REALLY rock…. I've said before, that reviews are crack for writers, and that is still true. When you write something and people take the time to comment on it, especially if they have their own spin, or think you've nailed a character, it really does inspire them to write more. I especially love those that ask questions… WHY do I see Garrus loving a nest? WHY does he vocalize… things like that are great because they get me to think and put my thoughts down on paper/computer. I honestly give a lot of thought to certain things I decide for my characters, and some of it might not be explained completely in the story. A good example is a question I got about my putting Garrus and Shepard in a nest…. I actually gave it a lot of thought and explained it. I guess it might sound stupid, but I don't just write something on a page, even with Fan Fiction… whether it's original work, or fan fiction, I give a lot of thought to everything I write (and yes, I write original fiction as well, I just don't have anywhere to post it). **_

_**Anyway, before this author's note becomes a book… I appreciate everyone who reviews, writes me privately and favorites my story/self. THANK YOU. And a big thank you to BioWare… for the universe, but also for screwing up the ending of ME3 so bad I HAD to write my own, LOL. And an even BIGGER thanks to Marie Fan-Writer, my beta, for all she does (and puts up with!) for me!**_

_**BEGIN**_

It really was amazing how quickly things had gotten back to "normal". She and Garrus went to mess the morning after their reunion and no one gave them a second look. Sitting at the table, one of her fingers around one of his talons, they talked to others even as they sat close together. She expected him to drop her hand when the Primarch walked in, but he didn't; instead he squeezed her hand and brought it to his lips to nuzzle.

"Hey Lola…?"

Shepard looked down the table at James Vega, raising her eyebrows. He'd started calling her that a couple of days ago. Garrus had seemed a bit perturbed for a while, but seemed to have relaxed now, especially since he now had his own nickname. "What's up, Vega?"

"The Merc was telling us how you guys used to spar on the Normandy before… you ought to re-instate that…."

Shepard exchanged a look with Garrus, and then with Miranda, who sat down the table the other way, both shrugged. She looked back at Vega and said, "Ok… any reason why?"

"Same reason as before… helps get people ready, and keeps shit calm…."

She looked at Garrus who nodded, "It's pretty common on a turian vessel… it does help keep people calm and gives them a way to blow off steam…."

The Primarch had just gotten a plate of Dextro food and moved to sit next to Garrus, who nodded to him when he said, "There are many similarities between turians and humans; the reaction to adrenaline is one. The turian military found out to our folly that if you do not give soldiers an outlet for their adrenaline driven actions, they will find their own…."

Zaeed nodded and said, "It's like a pot… you set the water to boil, but if you got it tight closed, eventually it'll explode… but you give it a pressure release and it's fine… just noisy." The crew laughed and Shepard nodded,

"Yea… I can see that. Any suggestions?" her gaze encompassed everyone from the Primarch to Vega to the Cook. One of the things that made Shepard such a damn good leader was her willingness to listen to her subordinates; all of them.

The Primarch clicked his mandibles, the turian equivalent to shrugging, she'd found out, and said, "Turian ships are a lot less strict about fraternization", with a look at her and Garrus' joined hands. Shepard would have put them under the table, but Garrus held fast, keeping them right there in the open. The Primarch continued, "Sparring is also an excellent choice. There are others, games of chance, in house competition, team work and team building episodes. I'd be happy to offer in depth advising to whomever is tasked with the responsibility of crew morale…." Primarch took a drink of his hot beverage and made a strange sound, looking into the cup with surprise, "This is extremely good… I hadn't expected a good cup of kapha aboard a human vessel!"

Shepard grinned, pointing at Gardner in the kitchen, "Thank our cook, Gardner… he's a whiz at making food and drinks from multiple worlds!" The Primarch looked over at the bald man and raised his cup,

"This is incredible, Mr. Gardner… if I didn't know better, I'd say I was Palavan itself. If the food is half as good as the kapha, I may have to watch my weight, or let my armor out…" there was laughter and Gardner chuckled, turning beet red,

"Glad you like it, Primarch I took some classes in making turian food while the commander was… gone." There was quiet, as everyone, including Gardner wondered if bad memories had been brought up, but Shepard waved a hand,

"I'm glad to see you put your time too good use, Rupert…." Everyone relaxed and Garrus turned to Victus and said,

"Wait until he makes a "meatloaf" with Callah meat… it's incredibly good."

The Primarch nodded, "I await it with baited breath."

Looking over at Vega again, she said, "All right then, Mr. Vega… looks like you just volunteered as Chief Moral Officer…." Vega cursed in Spanish, but Shepard just laughed and said, "So get cracking… the Primarch volunteered to give you some advice," she hesitated, then turned to the Primarch and said, "Though I don't want to take you from your work… it's incredibly nice of you to offer, but…."

The Primarch held up a hand, "Please, Commander… it would give me something to other than look at the extremely depressing casualty reports… and I'm mostly at loose ends until the summit…."

Shepard grinned, "Great… Vega, talk to the Primarch, see what you two can set up."

But Vega wasn't done yet, "I hear you and Scars put on a hell of a show, Lola… want to put on a rematch?"

Shepard glanced at Garrus, who grinned, and she said, "Sure… why the hell not… Garrus?"

Garrus gave Shepard an amused look then said, "If we can make it work, then Yea…definitely"

None of the crew knew why Shepard nearly choked on her hash browns, or why Garrus looked extremely pleased with himself as he patted her on the back.

_**CHAPTER BREAK**_

Shepard mentally prepared herself for the arrival at the Citadel. They needed to set in a supply of food and drink, for various species, and some ships supplies as well as give the crew a little shore leave. After this, they'd be heading directly to Tuchunka and no one knew when the next break would be. Standing at the Galaxy map, she was so busy making notes that she didn't hear the Primarch walk up to her.

"Excuse me, Commander Shepard?"

Giving a little "eep" of surprise, Shepard managed not to drop her pad, or spin around, but to turn like a grown woman and say, "Primarch… how can I help you?"

"I was hoping you could arrange for me to be taken to the Presidia to meet with the Turian Ambassador…."

"Of course, Primarch…" mentally she went through who she had to accompany him that would be good security. Zaeed was out, while she trusted him implicitly, putting him in with the Primarch was probably not going to fly. Thane could handle it, but she'd promised him time to meet his son. With a sigh, she realized she'd have to renege on that deal, unless the Primarch's business was quick. "Edi, please summon Garrus and Thane up to the CIC for security duty."

She looked at the Primarch, who was watching her carefully. After a few moments of silence, she began to feel like a mouse in a field, with a hawk overhead. She fought, successfully, not to fidget before Victus said, "Forgive me for being blunt, Commander… but as a fellow soldier, I believe you can handle it. How deep is your relationship with Vakarian?"

Shepard hesitated, irritated. On one hand, she'd never been one to hide her relationship, but she didn't know what Garrus wanted his superiors to know. Throwing caution to the wind, she looked directly into the Primarch's eyes and said, just as the doors opened to let Garrus and Thane onto the CIC, "Garrus and I are Bondmates, Primarch… with all that it entails; and yes, I know what I'm saying."

Garrus, entering the CIC, heard his mate make that proclamation, and froze, causing Thane to run into him from behind. Thane threw his hands out to grab the elevator doors, murmuring, "Garrus, perhaps if you were to move to the side, we both might be able to enter the CIC". Garrus looked at his mate, chin raised, eyes only for the Primarch, daring him to disapprove or say anything less than positive. A thrill ran through his fringe; if his mate was this brave, could he be any less?

Shepard knew that Garrus was on the CIC, but she refused to look to him or act guilty. Their relationship was not something to hide, or be ashamed of. So she stood, chin up, waiting for the Primarch to say something; or for Garrus to say or do something. Garrus strode from the elevator, taking his place at his mate's side, facing the Primarch together. He watched them, noting that Garrus was prepared to do anything to protect and support his mate… and that the Commander was not in the least worried about anyone knowing. He glanced around and saw that several of the ship's crew had moved to stand closer to their Commander; including the drell who now stood directly behind and to the left of the bondmates.

"I… see. Well, before this invasion, I would have said that taking a human as a mate, let alone a Bondmate, might have negatively affected Vakarian's chances at favorable rankings. However, with this new turn of events, and of course, Commander, who you are… well, he may still rise beyond his current situation. Perhaps even to challenge me, thought I can honestly tell you I wouldn't fight it if you wanted my job, Vakarian."

Shepard gazed over her shoulder at Garrus, considering. He looked really uncomfortable, so she moved on. "Primarch, I appreciate your candor. We'll make sure that you get to the Presidium. Is there anything else you need while we're here?"

The Primarch cocked his head to the side and said, "Perhaps you and I could meet on the Citadel and have a… talk, Commander."

Taken by surprise, she simply nodded, "All right… any particular subject?"

The Primarch fluttered his mandibles and said, quietly, "Why don't we wait for that time to discuss it?"

Shepard sensed Garrus tensing, but he said nothing and Shepard nodded carefully, "Of course, Primarch… perhaps we can meet at Apollo's Café? Just send me a message when you've completed your business…."

The Primarch nodded and turned to stride toward the airlock. Shepard turned to Thane and said, apologetically, "I'm sorry, Thane… I know I said you could have the day with your son…."

Thane waved off her apology, "It is fine, Siha… I am aware that plans must at times be changed. I will let Koylat know that I am delayed… and will meet him if possible."

Shepard nodded, "When the Primarch meets me at the Apollo you'll be free to go… I can handle it from there."

Thane frowned, "I do not wish to abandon you… you might still have need for me…."

Shepard shook her head, her expression booked no arguments, "We'll always need you, Thane… but Garrus and I can take it from that point… you will see your son on this trip. I think I'm still sharp enough for a little security.

Thane lowered his head in a slight bow, "Of course you are, Siha… I meant no disrespect… it is simply my own need to protect, I believe…."

Thane headed over toward the airlock and Shepard reached out to take Garrus' hand, drawing him close and said, "I know we don't have time now, but later if you want to yell at me for making our relationship public, I will be at your mercy."

Garrus shook his head, "I was a little shocked at when you chose to do it, but I have nothing but admiration and pride in our Bonding, Lia… no yelling needed."

A bit surprised, she cleared her throat, "right… ok then. You ok doing the security thing? Though from what the Primarch said, maybe I ought to be getting security for you too…."

Garrus looked abashed, but said, "Can we just drop it, Shepard? It's really not important, and I think the Primarch is ready to go…."

Her eyes flashing with amusement at Garrus discomfort, she said, "Ok, Mate… but we ARE talking about this later…." Garrus looked askance and Shepard took pity on him, giving him a quick hand squeeze before sending him off with the Primarch.

_**CHAPTER BREAK**_

It was a long damn day. Having completed the shopping necessary for the ship, Shepard made her way to the Apollo Café for her meeting with the Primarch. When she arrived, the Primarch was already sitting at a table near the back; Garrus sat near him, eyes moving around as he kept watch. To Shepard's surprise, two turian C-Sec officers stood near the Primarch. Making her way over to them, the C-Sec turians stepped toward her, but at a word from the Primarch, stepped back to their post. Both the Primarch and Garrus rose to their feet, but Garrus stepped forward to take her hand, but hesitated before taking it, glancing around. Lia frowned, be damned if she was going to hide this… so she stood on her toes and pressed a kiss to his mandible as he wrapped an arm around her to guide her to the table. Once she was sitting, the Primarch and Garrus both joined her.

"I sent Thane off to see his son once the Ambassador assigned the Primarch some security." Garrus told her. The Primarch smiled in his turian way and said,

"Commander Shepard, if you have any drawbacks at all, it's that you're very insular… you expect to have to do everything yourself, or with your team and do not think of asking outside help."

Shepard shrugged, "Well, to be honest, up to now, every time I've asked the Council for the time of day they've told me to go f…." Garrus cleared his throat and Shepard changed what she was about to say, with a grin, "Do it myself."

The Primarch and Garrus both chuckled, knowing full well what she'd been about to say. Sighing a bit, the Primarch continued, "There is still a lot of lingering resentment for the Relay 314 incident."

Shepard made a non-committal sound and changed the subject, "Hmmm, I haven't been out to eat in ages… I wonder what's good here…."

The Primarch turned to Garrus and said, "Vakarian… you're neglecting your mate! You should take her out more often…."

Shepard sputtered and tried to fix her faux pas, "No, it's not Garrus it's…" but Garrus covered her hand with his own, chuckling,

"The Primarch is making a joke, amica."

"Oh. I'm sorry, Primarch…. I guess social niceties escape me…."

The Primarch waved a hand, "No need to apologize… you're a soldier, first and foremost. Seldom does a soldier have time to figure out which fork to eat with… a situation I fully understand, having been a lifelong soldier myself."

"And yet you have exquisite manners, Primarch…."

He spread his mandibles wider and said, "Rearing, I'm afraid… the habits of my first fifteen years are not so easily forgotten… as Garrus will attest…."

She glanced at Garrus, whose mandibles were tight, showing discomfort. Shepard filed that away for future consideration. Her "to be discussed" list with Garrus was getting pretty long.

As the waitress came, Shepard ordered a steak, medium rare, with French fries and a chocolate malt. The turians both placed their orders as well and once the waitress left, there was a silence. Shepard finally broke it,

"So, Primarch… what can I do for you?"

The Primarch chuckled, "A soldier, through and through… no hesitation, no couching it in pretty words, just a question about the situation; cut right to the heart of the matter."

Shepard shrugged, but look at the Primarch, she didn't know I she'd been insulted or not, but wasn't about to give him the satisfaction of asking. Clearing his throat, the Primarch said, "Commander…"

Whatever the Primarch was going to ask was cut off as a shot rang out on the commons and Garrus, Shepard and both security officers threw themselves on the Primarch dragging him back against a wall and shielding him with their bodies. The Primarch squawked, which if Shepard hadn't been so preoccupied would have made her laugh. Shepard made sure the security were all but sitting on the Primarch before she nodded to Garrus who, with his superior reach, snagged the table and pulled it over to them, before knocking it on its side. With the table as a minimal cover, Shepard moved away from the Primarch, still keeping her body between her and the commons. Pulling her rifle, she began looking around, and snapped, "Garrus… anything?" She knew Garrus was scanning with his visor.

"Left top… glint."

Both re-arranged themselves, "I can't get a shot, damn it… I have to move."

"DAMN IT SHEPARD!" Garrus started, but Lia had already thrown herself over the table and ran, zig zag pattern to another table. Another shot, then two more, before Lia managed to knock that table over and get behind it. She heard Garrus voice in her ear, "They're not shooting at the Primarch, Shepard…."

Shepard frowned, aiming her rifle at the man on the roof with the glint coming off his scope, "Come again?"

"They're shooting at you, Shepard… when you moved, all the shots went for you…."

Putting that aside for now, Shepard asked, "Garrus, do you have a shot?"

"No… not without putting civilians in danger…." Over Garrus' ear piece, as well as through the courtyard, she heard the Primarch's voice,

"WILL YOU MOVE…? I'm a soldier dammit… I'm fully capable of defending myself…."

Garrus' voice again, sounding aggrieved, "Damn it, SIT on him if you have to, just keep him down!"

Watching the place where the shots came from, she saw a form leap up and start to move, "On the move!" she lept over the make shift cover and rushed through the commons, chasing the shooter. A split second later, she heard Garrus, and snapped, "NO. Stay with the Primarch, Garrus…."

"I'm not leaving you to face that bastard alone, Shepar…"

"**THAT'S AN ORDER, VAKARIAN!"**

There was utter silence over the comm, but no sound of running turian feet behind her told her that Garrus had obeyed. She knew she'd upset her mate, and worse, she'd upset her best friend and the soldier who always had her six. Softening her voice, she said "Get him to the ship, Garrus… then get back here…."

"Affirmative," Garrus voice was cool, and Shepard knew he was pissed, but she had to concentrate on the shooter, so she put Garrus upset pride off. She ran up the stairs and through the building, a C-Sec officer tried to stop her, but she didn't have time, so she just cold cocked him with the butt of her rifle.

She came out of the building and saw a form dressed in all black, carrying a rifle jump down a set of stairs and start running. Putting on a burst of speed, she came within a hairs breadth of grabbing him, when a hover car appeared, the door opened and three men opened fire. Shepard glanced to the side and saw a tiny little ledge that would provide a bit of cover and dove for it, just as her shield went out and she felt the impact of a shot.

She raised her rifle and returned fire, managing to see that the two of the men in the car were human, and the original shooter was turian. The third man in the car was in the shadows and all she could see was the rifle he fired; a Cain. She knew that if he fired that at her, the little cover she'd flung herself behind wasn't going to be enough. At that thought, she saw the flash from the Cain's muzzle and had time to think,

'_Fuck me… this is gonna hurt… and Garrus is going to KILL me…_'before the projectile took out her cover, her regenerated shield and her lights.

_**END**_

_You know, cliffys are kinda fun…for ME! LMAO _


	38. Scene 34

The next thing Shepard knew, she was flat on her back, and someone was trying to get her armor off. She flung a hand out and her fist connected with someone's jaw; there was a scream and she began to struggle in earnest. Then two familiar hands clasped her shoulders and a very familiar face appeared in front of hers. She hadn't thought she had her eyes opened, but she must have, because when Garrus leaned in, she focused on him; though he seemed almost one dimensional. His lips moved, but her mind was having a difficult time understanding. The concern in his eyes on the other hand, that she understood. She raised a hand to touch his face and saw his eyes close a moment,catching her hand between his cheek and the shoulder of his armor. She made a stronger attempt to sit up, but Garrus' talons on her shoulders kept her lying down. She frowned, trying to figure out what was going on. She realized Garrus was talking to her and focused on him, "Shepard… relax, stop fighting them… Shepard, can you hear me?"

She stopped fighting, trusting her mate explicitly. If he said to relax, she'd do it if she could… but god she hurt. She waved a hand and one of his came off her shoulder to grasp it His eyes were concerned and she could hear the keen in his sub-harmonics as he gazed at her. She tried to tell him she was fine, but she couldn't seem to get enough air to speak, and he hushed her, his free hand moving off her other shoulder to cup her face, running his thumb over her mouth, "Hush, Shepard… let the medics do their job…."  
>"Stay…" she tried to speak, but no sound came out; but Garrus understood,<p>

"I'm not going anywhere, amica… just relax and hold on…" Garrus stroked her hair as her vision began to fade and the last thing she heard was his voice, his sub-harmonics keening as he nearly yelled, sounding desperate, "Dammit Lia, hold on…."

_**CHAPTER BREAK**_

The next time Shepard opened her eyes, she groaned. She recognized the ceiling of the medical center and the pull of an IV in her arm. She groanedagain and immediately, she heard the squeak of a chair and turned her head in that direction, watching Garrus try to get up from where he'd been sitting. The chair was small even by human standards and Garrus looked like he'd been turned into a pretzel sitting in it. He managed to get out of the chair and sat on the edge of the bed, taking her hand in his and whispering, "Shepard… thanks the Spirits…."

Shepard pulled his hand up to her face, resting her cheek on it as he used his other hand to stroke her hair. He lowered his head to bump her forehead with his own and asked "How are you feeling? Do you need something?"

Shepard tried to speak, but her throat felt like it was filled with gravel, she coughed and Garrus leaned away from her taking his hand off her hair. She reacted, violently. She tried to get back in touch with him and he stopped, turning back, his hand going back to her hair, holding her still, "Hush… shhh… it's ok, amica…shhh. I was just going to get you some water… just calm down… shh."

Another set of hands, these blue, reached around Garrus and filled a cup with water, putting straw in it and coming around to the other side of the bed. Liara looked at Shepard, her eyes gentle as she held the straw to Shepard's mouth, "Here… drink this, Shepard." Shepard drank some of the water with a thankful glance at Liara. Nodding, Liara put the cup down and said, "I'm going to go check on Kaiden… I'll be back in a little while, Shepard…."

Liara left the room and Shepard turned her attention back to her mate, who had not stopped petting her hair, "how long?"

Garrus raised her hand to his face, nuzzling it, "Four days, amica… you've been unconscious most of it."

Shepard cursed, "Dammit… we need to get to Tuchunka…" and tried to sit up, but Garrus held her down, gently but firmly.

"You're not going anywhere, Shepard… not until Dr. Chakwas gives it the ok… and once you're out of here, I anticipate you'll be in the med bay for a while longer. This was too damn close, Shepard."

"What happened?" Shepard hated to sound so weak, but she let Garrus hold her to the bed, one of his hands holding hers, the other gently stroking her hair. They'd let her hair out of the bun she wore it in and now it was loose over her pillow. She'd never had it this long before, but it was nearly to her waist when it was undone.

"You got shot… something big…"

"Cain."

Garrus cursed to himself, and then continued, "At close range. Took out your shields and blew part of the planter you were behind into your head and chest. By the time Thane got to you…" Garrus sub-harmonic keening grew louder and Shepard rubbed her head against his hand, reminding him she was alive and here. "You were bleeding out. Thane put pressure on the wounds and I got there a few seconds later with Liara. We tried to hold pressure until the medics got there; you flat lined twice on the way to the hospital, Lia… I thought… I thought I'd lost you." Now Garrus was keening verbally as well as sub-harmonics and all Shepard could do was squeeze his hand and rub her face against his wrist. A few breaths later, Garrus went on, "They got you back to the medical center and rushed you to surgery."

Shepard tugged on Garrus and he leaned down to bump her forehead with his own again, "It's ok, Garrus… I'm fine…."

He didn't reply, just sat next to her, running his talons through her hair and clutching her hand. He rested his head on the bed next to her, and her free hand moved over to rest on his fringe, not stroking, just resting there. His sub-harmonics keened, but his voice was quiet.

She had no idea how long she lay there before Mordin and Chakwas entered the room accompanied by Dr. Michel. Shepard frowned as Mordin and Chakwas immediately went to work, looking at her chart and conferring. Dr. Michel moved to Garrus side and said softly, "Garrus…may I please speak with you….outside?"

Garrus squeezed his mate's hand and said, "Yeah…" when Shepard didn't let go of his hand, he turned to frown at her, "I'll be right back, Shepard…." But she clung to him, moving her other hand to grasp his hand with both of hers. Using his free hand, he stroked her hair, leaning over her and whispering, "Shepard… it's ok… Mordin and Chakwas are here with you… and I'll just be a moment… let go, amica… Dr. Michel just needs me for a second…."

Shepard glared at the doctor; thought Garrus was in the way so she didn't see her. Shepard muttered, "Yeah… she _needs_ you… but for longer than a second…." Garrus frowned at her, confused. Then apparently decided that Shepard was confused and leaned over to nuzzle her temple, freeing his hands and saying,

"It's ok, Shepard… I'm just going to be outside the door." Given no choice, since Mordin and Chakwas were ready to examine her, she let his hand go, but asked, just to be sure, "Just outside the door?"

Her mate nodded, stroking her hair again, "Yeah… just outside the door… it won't take long…."

Garrus brought her hand to his face, nuzzling it, before lying it down on the bed. Mordin and Chakwas spoke softly, then Chakwas came to Shepard with a stern expression on her face, "All right, Commander. We'll take that IV out and let you go back to the Normandy so we can get underway; I'm well aware that we're on a schedule. However, in return for this magnanimous gesture, you WILL follow our orders to the letter… do you understand, Commander?"

Shepard nodded, slowly, her attention still on the door where Garrus had disappeared, "Of course doctor… Can I at least stay in my room?"

Chakwas and Mordin exchanged a glance, then Mordin said, in his usual quick voice, "Only if both mates agree to ceasing of sexual activity until released by doctors… strenuous exercise may cause relapse…."

Shepard nodded, "No strenuous exercise… got it. Anything else?"

Mordin nodded, "Will have list… rest is vital…." Shepard started to argue that she had to get things done, but Mordin continued, "Understand timetable… but must rest as much as possible… must promise…."

Shepard nodded, her eyes going back to the door, "All right… by the way, Mordin?"

"Yes?"

"I'm glad to see you're back…."

Mordin looked a bit uncomfortable, "Glad to return, Shepard… much work to do to defeat Reapers."

_**CHAPTER BREAK**_

Garrus walked out with the doctor, expecting to be discussing his mate's condition and treatment. But once they were outside the room, Dr. Michel seemed to have difficulties finding the words. Finally, after long moments of waiting, Garrus said, gently, "Dr. Michel… you said you needed to talk to me… is Shepard all right?"

Dr. Michel started, "Oui… yes, the Commander is in good hands… both Dr. Chakwas and Dr. Solus are excellent medical professionals… I wanted to…err, that is, I had hoped that you might be on the Citadel for a bit longer?"

Shaking his head, Garrus said, "We're already running behind, I'm betting that Shepard is talking Mordin and Chakwas into letting her back on the Normandy… we'll probably leave within the hour…."

"Oh… well, perhaps we could go get some coffee… or something?"

Garrus frowned again, shaking his head, "I don't think I have the time, Dr. Michel…."

"Chloe, Garrus…remember?"

"Right… Chloe… anyway, I don't think we'll have much time and I'd rather stay with Shepard and oversee her transfer to the ship. If someone is out to kill her, then I'd prefer to be on her six, protecting her." Garrus glanced over his shoulder at the door, wishing he could just go back in there. Dr. Michel… no, he corrected himself, Chloe. So intent was he on the door and his mate beyond, he missed the rather nasty expression that crossed the doctor's face,

"Very well; but promise me that the next time you're here you'll consider my offer? It will always stand…."

Garrus nodded, dragging his attention back to the young woman before him. "Sure… we'll see what we can do. Is there anything else?"

Chloe hesitated, and then pulled a package out from her pocket, handing it to Garrus. "This is for you… I found it in a little store when I was treating a patient in the wards and thought of you… I hope you enjoy it…."

Garrus glanced at the package; Dextro Chocolate and frowned. Turians didn't give gifts much, except to close friends or Bondmates. But humans were an odd species, so Garrus nodded at her, flicking his mandibles and said, "Thank you… it was nice of you to think of me. Is there anything else, Doctor? I really need to get back in there."

"No, nothing else; be careful, Garrus… I would hate anything to happen to you."

Nodding in what he hoped was a reassuring manner, Garrus turned and re-entered the room to find Shepard sitting up, IV gone and being helped to dress by Chakwas. Hurrying over, he glanced at Mordin, who was writing in the chart and said, "Here, Shepard… let me help…." To his surprise, Shepard glared at him, snapping,

"What, your little _talk_ with Dr. Michel over already? You sure you don't want an extra few hours on the Citadel?" Startled, he glanced at Chakwas, who was trying to hide a smile, then at Mordin who shook his head, muttering about hormones and emotions. Then he stepped up and simply took the shirt from Chakwas' hands and began to help Shepard, saying,

"Why don't you two go get her checked out and I'll help her finish dressing… the quicker we get everything done, the quicker we can get back to the Normandy and out of here." The doctors both left the room and Shepard continued to glare at him as he helped her dress. She didn't fight him on the dressing, she wasn't about to bite off her nose to spite her face; she needed to be dressed to get out of here. But she was still annoyed, and if she was honest with herself, jealous as hell.

"Why would you ask if I wanted more time on the Citadel, amica?"

Her anger still simmering, Shepard snapped, "So you could spend time with your _friend_ of course…."

Confused, Garrus said, "Chloe?" as he bent to put her boots on. Shepard felt an almost uncontrollable desire to kick the shit out of her mate, but only said, sarcasm dripping from her words,

"Oh…its _CHLOE_ now is it… she works fast…. Maybe next time you'll go out shopping and have your nails done…."

Garrus sat back on his haunches, gazing up at his mate, confused. He had absolutely no idea what was going on. Part of him wondered if she was in pain, and reacting to it. Another part wondered if she'd hit her head harder than they'd thought. Carefully he said, "I'm not sure why Chloe would want her talons trimmed, amica… but…" Shepard got up, staggered a bit and he rose and caught her. To his surprise, she shook off his hand and glared at him.

He was confused, and he hated to be confused; it made him irritable. But he tamped down that irritation, not hard to do when he remembered how close he'd come to losing her. Trying for calm, he said, "Look, Lia… it's obvious you're upset…"

"Ya think?" Sarcasm so thick you could cut it with a knife,

"…But I have no idea why. Tell me what's upset you, amica and we can work on it…."

Shepard's glare sharpened, and she said, "If you don't know what's going on, Romeo, then I'm sure as hell not going to tell you…" and she shoved past him to the door, leaving him standing in the middle of the room, mouth opened and not knowing _WHAT_ _THE HELL_ had just happened.

_**CHAPTER BREAK**_

The five of them entered the airlock on the Normandy and Shepard was in just as nasty a mood as she had been at the hospital. Turning to Joker, she snapped, "Get us the hell off this place; Joker… set a course for Tuchunka, as fast as possible." Startled, the pilot said,

"Yes ma'am… course already plotted… you ok, Shepard?"

"Just fine and dandy… can't you tell?"

Edi stood and said, "Commander, I wonder if might ask you a question?"

Shepard turned to her and said, "Can it wait, Edi? I have a shit load of things to get done… but I promise if it can wait, I'll come back later…."

"Of course Commander…."

Shepard turned and stalked out of the cockpit area toward the elevator as Mordin muttered something about going to check his lab. With a small smile and a pat on his shoulder, Chakwas headed after her patient leaving Garrus standing there, looking after Shepard with an expression of bewilderment. Joker spoke up,

"Wow… what the hell did you do, Garrus?"

Glaring at the pilot, Garrus said, waspishly, "What makes you think _I_ did anything, Joker?"

Ticking his points off his fingers as he spoke them, "First, she didn't give you a second glance. Second, she didn't touch you and she was standing as far from you as she could and still be _in_ the ship…."

Garrus waved a hand, interrupting the pilot. "Fine… she's mad at me; but I have _no_ idea why. One minute everything is fine; then suddenly she was like this…"

"Well… what were you doing before she got pissed?"

Garrus snapped, "I wasn't even in the _ROOM_… I want out to talk to Dr. Michel and when I came back in she was like this…."

"Ooooohhhhh!" and Joker grinned.

Garrus glared at the pilot, "What?"

Joker grinned, and said, "There you go, Garrus… but you better get to work on kissing her ass…"

Garrus frowned, he was so confused, "What the hell am I supposed to say I'm sorry for? I didn't _**do**_ anything!"

Joker turned back to the controls and said, "uh uh… I'm not getting into this one… you better go get shit done, or you'll end up on the couch for the rest of your life…that is, if she doesn't space you…"

No matter what Garrus did, said or threatened, Joker wasn't budging. Growling, Garrus turned and headed through CIC to the elevator. "Edi, where is Commander Shepard?"

"Commander Shepard is in your quarters, Officer Vakarian…."

Shaking his head and feeling a bit like he was walking unprotected into a Reaper, he rode the elevator to the loft. Taking a deep breath, he opened the door and entered their quarters, hesitantly. Thankfully, Shepard was in the shower, and with a sigh of relief, Garrus headed to his footlocker, tossing the package from Dr. Michel into it and retrieving a clean set of clothes. He'd never left Shepard's side during the four days she'd been in the hospital. Liara had brought him a change of clothes the first day, so at least he wasn't covered in blood. Girding his loins, he moved into the bathroom and froze. Shepard was leaning against the wall, holding herself and moaning.

Garrus cursed and covered the ground to her side in two strides, "Damn it Shepard… what did you do…?"

Shepard tried to keep her anger, but at this point, the pain was so intense she just needed his support. "I tried to wash my hair…."

"Spirits, Lia… next time wait for me…. Come on, let's get you back in there…." Putting his arm around her, he got her to the shower and let her lean on him as he reached for the shampoo and washed her hair. Her hair fascinated him, the way it was like silk when dry, but when it was wet, it clung to everything and wrapped around him like a living thing. As he ran water through her hair, she kept her hands on his waist, her head back. He gazed at the graceful flow of her neck and the tantalizing arch of her neck and sighed. He took up her body wash and began to clean her; he's hands slowly running over every part of her body before turning her to the stream, sluicing the water over her, washing off the soap.

Shepard sighed; the feeling of his hands over her body brought her not just arousal, but comfort. She loved his touch, and she loved the feeling of his hands on her body. She was still angry, though a part of her kept pointing out that Garrus had never shown so much as a hint that he even noticed Michel's interest. She knew she was being an unadulterated bitch, and more than that, she was being just as bad as Garrus had been about Thane. Sighing, she pushed the anger away and leaned into her mate; rubbing her face against his chest.

Garrus finished washing his mate and cleaned himself, allowing her to help him a bit. She seemed more open, so he lowered his head and bumped her head against his; she responded, gently, biting her lower lip. "Oh Garrus…."

Garrus finished rinsing off, and palmed off the water, reaching for a towel, beginning to dry her off. She took the towel and began to blot the water from him, with a chuckle, he took another towel and continued to dry her off. Lowering his head, he kissed her, his hands traveling over her body. Shepard moaned and said, reaching for his hands, "The docs said no strenuous exercise…" Garrus groaned, burying his face in her hair,

"Damn it…."

"I'm sorry Garrus…."

He hugged her tightly 'It's fine, amica… I understand… I'm not upset, just frustrated." He took a deep breath and blew it out, holding her too him, thrilled beyond measure that her snit was done. Carefully, he finished drying her and swept her up in his arms. He carried her into their room and laid her in their nest, gazing at her with heat and love. She reached out and grasped his wrist, tugging gently,

"Join me…?" Garrus hesitated,

"I don't think that's a good idea, amica…."

Shepard whimpered and said, "Maybe not, but I really need to feel your arms around me… and I need to explain…."

Another few moments of hesitation, then Garrus shrugged and stepped into their nest and gathered her into his arms. His eyes were drawn to what had been such a terrible wound on her chest, now it was just a slightly puckered, pink scar. Garrus cuddled her to his chest and said, "Spirits, amica… that was too close."

Shepard nodded "I know… I'm sorry, I should have let you come with me… but I made a judgment call… keeping the Primarch safe was more important."

Garrus nodded, "I know… I'd have made the same one, Lia." There were a few moments of hesitation, then Garrus said, hesitantly, "Lia… will you tell me what happened? I've thought about it, torn every conversation apart and I just can't figure out…."

Lia sighed, moving slowly, as he supported her, she sat up astride him, his hands resting on her waist as he gazed at her quizzically, "Ok… this is going to sound bad… I was… jealous."

Shaking his head, that was the last thing he'd expected, "Jealous? Of who?"

Gazing anywhere but at him, she murmured, "Dr. Michel…."

Garrus was shocked as he said, "Dr. Michel? You were jealous of the doctor who worked on you?"

Shepard shrugged, "Dr. Michel didn't work on me, Garrus… that was all Chakwas and Mordin…."

"Then why was she there?"

Now it was Shepard's turn to look at him askance, "To see you, Garrus…."

Garrus sat up, leaning back against the nest wall and said, "I don't understand…."

Shepard cupped his face, drawing herself to him, despite the twinge to press her lips against him. Then said, a slight smile on her face, "Because she wants you, Garrus… she's attracted to you… She has been for a while.

Garrus shook his head, his hands busy holding his mate securely as he said, "Are you sure? I would have thought I'd have noticed…."

Shepard chuckled, and then groaned, holding her ribs as Garrus soothed her, "Don't make me laugh, Garrus…it hurts…."

Garrus chuckled, "Now you know how I felt when half my face was falling off."

Shepard chuckled with him, then said, "Look, I over reacted, I admit it… I was jealous and I took it out on you. Forgive me?"

Garrus pulled her close, snuggled her against him again and said, "Forgiven amica. I guess we are a pair, aren't we?"

Shepard shook her head, "I know that you'd never do anything with a human…."

Garrus interrupted her, "Not with ANYONE, amica",

Nodding, Shepard went on, "But she's just so… smitten. Ahhh, hell, Garrus, I've got no excuse. I just reacted when I should have sat back and trusted you…. I'm sorry."

Garrus lay down, drawing his mate with him so she rested on his chest. Stroking her hair, he whispered, "Rest, amica… you need sleep, and so do I ."

Shepard snuggled to her mate, reaching down to take his hand, bringing it to her face and holding it against her. "I love you, Garrus…."

Nuzzling his face into her hair, he whispered, "I love you too, amica…."

Shepard drifted off, safe in his arms. But he stayed away for a long time, trying to figure out what he'd missed with Dr. Michel and at the same time feeling the tiny trill of happiness that his mate was jealous.


	39. Scene 35

"Commander?"

Looking up from the planet she was currently mining, Shepard looked toward the cockpit, despite the fact that Joker was speaking over the com system. "Yes Joker?"

"We're being hailed…."

Shepard frowned and cocked her head to the side, "Hailed? By who?"

Joker sounded slightly confused by his own words, "By Wrex…"

Standing up, Shepard headed to the cockpit, "Wrex? From where? Tuchunka?"

He made an odd sound, "No… a ship, to our starboard side."

Already frowning, she entered the cockpit and saw the ship Joker was talking about. It wasn't anything special, just a small frigate. "Did you confirm it is Wrex, Joker?"

Joker gave her a scorching glare, "Of course, Commander… he's using the code we gave him."

"Well, put it on the screen, Joker… let's see what takes Wrex off Tuchunka…."

The image solidified and Shepard recognized the massive figure of Wrex, and he was pacing back and forth on the tiny bridge. "Wrex? We were just on our way to see you…what brings you all the way out here?"

Wrex glared at the camera, obviously furious, but Shepard knew Wrex well enough to know his fury wasn't directed at her. He snarled, "Shepard… I need your help."

She didn't even think about it; Wrex had been there for her too many times to count and if he needed her, she was going to return the favor, "Of course, what do we need to do?"

Wrex stilled, gazing at the camera as though he were surprised, "Just like that? Not even going to ask what I want?"

Shepard watched him, making eye contact, "Wrex, we've been through a lot together… we're friends, family. You say you need my help, I'm there. What's up?"

Wrex shook his head, fury returning, "The salarians," the fury in his voice grew past all reason and Shepard shivered, "have a cure for the genophage."

_**CHAPTER BREAK**_

Wrex paced back and forth in the War Rom, his fury palatable in the small room. The room wasn't truly small, but the massive krogan pacing, it seemed like it. Primarch Victus stood quietly to one side, observing the situation, but saying nothing. Shepard stood near the war map and watched Wrex, Garrus stood next to her, tense but willing to trust their old friend.

"Those bastards have the cure… the CURE to stop this… to let the krogan have some sort of future. But they won't give it to us… they flat out threaten to kill us…."

Shepard shook her head, stepping closer to the enraged krogan as her mate stiffened. Laying a hand on Wrex's bicep, Shepard said, "How do you know they have the cure, Wrex?"

For the first time, Wrex sounded uncomfortable, "Let's just say we have informants, the same as anyone else. But it checks out… and I trust the guy… Shepard…" here Wrex stopped in front of her and she could see the pain, the torment and the tug of war in his eyes, "They have fertile females that can help my people…."

Placing her hands on his massive shoulder, Shepard said, "If the information is authentic, then we'll do something, Wrex. You have my word."

Wrex seemed to relax, at least a little and then said, "Thanks…I knew you'd see it."

"Make yourself at home, Wrex… Garrus, show him to a bunk. Let me go talk to a couple people and I'll be back…. Sur'Kesh, right? The salarian home world?"

Wrex nodded and Garrus saw something in his old friend; the krogen was exhausted. Not just tired, but end of his rope, ready to drop exhausted. He'd been tired when they'd taken Grunt to Tuchunka a year ago… but now… now he was just plain exhausted. The Primarch's soft voice, his sub-harmonics worried, said, "Commander… when you have a moment, I'd like to speak with you…."

Shepard nodded, "Does it need to be before the summit, Primarch?"

Another hesitation, then Victus nodded, "That would be… preferable."

Shepard nodded, "Ok, let me get this started and I'll come back to speak with you…."

Garrus took Wrex to a bunk, hesitated, and then left with nothing more than a quick shoulder bump. He headed back to the war room, still thinking about what his mate was dealing with.

_**CHAPTER BREAK**_

Shepard headed from the War Room to the lab. Mordin was puttering about, setting up his equipment. To Shepard's surprise, Mordin had come back to the Normandy carting numerous pieces of what looked like very expensive equipment. Setting it up in a lab that was ¾ the size of his old lab, Shepard expected that Mordin would be upset at the diminishing lab, but instead he'd been pragmatic.

"Must evolve or die, Shepard… understand necessary changes. Will make due with available space."

Now she stepped into the lab and found Mordin puttering around singing under his breath. Noticing her, the salarian turned and said, head cocked as he worked through things, "Stressed… no, normal reaction. Appears unwilling to address, might not like discussion… concerning request to leave during summit? No, not enough to cause stress…." Louder, he said, "yes Shepard… what is the situation…?"

"I think I have an idea of how to meet your request and have you handle something else too…." Mordin had request to be off the ship when the Dalatrass arrived; a strange request, but Mordin seldom requested something like this, so she'd been going to grant it anyway. But now, there was a mission he could do, if he was willing. "There's a… situation that I think would benefit from your… unique talents." Head cocked, Mordin was silent, waiting. "Wrex showed up with some information… something that I think you'll be interested in and your skills will be useful."

"Wrex… krogan… situation important to krogan, must be genophage… Malon's work? Unlikely, work under lock and key. Hacking information? Possible… unlikely due to person developing safeguards… others might have made mistakes, but myself, unlikely." Mordin ended up simply gazing at her, quizzically.

"Wrex has information that the salarian's are developing a cure for the genophage… to the point they are working on live subject… live Krogan female subjects. Apparently, they have fertile females at a facility…."

Mordin nodded, "On Sur'Kesh… yes, am aware. You wish me to go there and infiltrate."

It wasn't a question, but Shepard felt a strange quiver in her chest, but said "You seem pretty well versed in top secret scientific salarian works…."

Mordin shrugged, "Important to stay informed… genophage is vital work. You wish me to infiltrate organization to find where fertile females held?"

Shepard nodded, "Yeah… we need to know what we're getting into. We're going to rescue the females… they don't deserve to be lab rats."

Mordin cocked his head again, "Infiltration not necessary to gather information… being held in secret facility on Sur-mesh. Can access files and meet you there. Will give Joker correct co-ordinates."

Shepard watched him closely then said, "Mordin… something you want to tell me?"

Mordin looked slightly uncomfortable, then said, "Went where talents best utilized… gathered support from Special Tasks Groups… not authorized, but support."

Knowing that was all she'd get, Shepard nodded, "Can you do it?"

Giving her a scathing look, Mordin said, "Of course Shepard. Will give Joker co-ordinates and find transport. Give me a day. Then follow."

"The ship Wrex appeared on can get you close."

Mordin nodded, "Will pack and be gone within the hour. Will see you at the facility, Shepard."

Turning, Shepard left the lab and headed to the cockpit. She'd promised Edi they'd talk, but hadn't had time. Now she had time… and she always kept a promise.

Entering the bridge, she grinned at Joker as he and Edi traded good natured comments, then turned to the AI and said "Edi… you wanted to talk to me earlier? Do you still need something?"

Rising gracefully to her feet, Edi said, "Yes, Shepard… perhaps we can go to the CIC to discuss this…."

Nodding, Shepard turned to lead the way, hearing Joker's sarcastic, "Don't mind me, sitting here, flying the ship…."

Once in the vestibule, Edi turned to Shepard, her hands behind her back and began "Commander… since taking over this body, I have noticed a strange phenomenon."

Shepard frowned, "Ok… what type of phenomena?"

"At first it seemed minor… the crew would seek me out to speak with me, despite the fact that they can speak to me from any point on the ship."

Shepard grinned, "Well, Edi… that's pretty common. They know that you can interact with them from anywhere, but there is just something comforting about talking face to face."

Edi cocked her head and said, "But my holographic image is also a human appearing…."

Shepard chuckled, "Yeah, but this… err… platform is much more appealing. Its life sized, shaped very nicely and they can feel as if they interact with you."

"I will consider that point… I have tried to speak to Jeff about this situation, but he seems to feel less than comfortable discussing this type of situation. If I have future questions, may I speak with you?"

Feeling more than slightly uncomfortable, Shepard none the less felt the need to keep her open door policy for every one of her crew; including the non-organic members. Smiling, she replied "Sure, Edi… if I can help, I'd be glad too… just don't let these new thoughts interfere with your duties."

"Do not worry, Shepard… I only forget to recycle the oxygen when I find something _really_ interesting…."

Shepard stared in absolute shock, trying to find the words to talk to Edi, not sure if she was being truly serious. Edi gazed back, her expression, of course, unchanging as she said, "Don't worry, Shepard… that was a joke."

A surge of relief filled her, but that tiny little residue of nerves still stayed as she turned and left the area, while Edi walked back to the cockpit.

CHAPTER BREAK

Shepard's next stop was the Primarch; but he wasn't in the War Room as she hadexpected. She finally found him in his small, private quarters. She knocked on the door and when she heard the soft "enter", cued the door to open. To her surprise, the Primarch was not in his normal armor, but instead sat in civvies at the small desk, surrounded by data pads. When she entered the room, Victus rose and offered her the chair as he moved to sit on the edge of the bed, pushing the accumulated data pads and reports back. Shepard looked around the small room, one of four that passed as VIP quarters on the Normandy. Miranda had created them when she'd created the War Room, but they were far from fancy.

Shepard said, "I'm sorry for the cramped quarters, Primarch… I know their rather small…."

Victus waved a hand at her, "Commander… I've spent my entire life in the military. This is a luxury compared to some of the places I've slept."

Shepard grinned, "Holes in the ground, fighting off bugs, up in trees trying to balance on a limb the size of my foot…."

The Primarch chuckled, "In a three by three room with four other soldiers… all in full armor, I might add…." The two laughed, despite their different species, they were both soldiers; and soldiers were pretty much the same no matter their species.

After a few moments, Shepard said, still smiling, "So, Primarch…"

"Adrian, please, Commander… I understand that during the summit, or out there," he waved a hand at the war room, "formality is required. But on our off times, I'd be honored if you'd call me by my name."

Shepard nodded, "I'd like that, Adrian… but only if you'll call me Lia… or Shepard if you prefer… To be honest, I've never really been called by my name."

Adrian chuckled, "I understand that, Shepard… believe me, for many years, if someone called me by my given name, I looked around for who they were talking too… if you'd prefer, Victus is acceptable." He looked a bit uncomfortable, "It's just _'primarch'_ that makes me feel like there's someone else in the room." The self-depreciating tone made her smile even wider and she saw an answering widening of Victus' mandibles.

"So… what did you want to talk to me about, Adrian?"

He seemed to hesitate, as though gathering his thoughts; finally he said, "I want to apologize if I made you feel… uncomfortable about your relationship with your mate."

Shepard frowned a little, that hadn't been what she expected. "Not at all; I know that it must be a bit surprising. But neither Garrus nor I feel uncomfortable with people knowing…."

Victus nodded, "I'm glad… it's rare to find such a connection, and when you do, you should hold to it firmly. You are an amazing woman, Shepard… Garrus is a lucky turian."

Shepard forced a smile and said, "Thank you… I think I'm the lucky one."

Victus widened his mandibles and said, almost hesitantly, "I'm sure… I've known Garrus for many years… our families are neighbors and friends. I'm very happy to see that he found a worthy mate… even if it wasn't my sister…." Shepard stared in shock, before the teasing note in his voice registered,

"Garrus was… err… with your sister?" That might have explained a lot, but it wasn't something she'd expected.

Victus shook his head, "Not like you're thinking… at one time, Garrus' father and mine were hopeful that Garrus and my sister would make a solid mating… but neither seemed amicable, thus it never became more than a hopeful conversation."

Shepard considered that, it was an interesting bit of knowledge and one she intended to discuss with her mate… soon. Bringing herself back to the present time, she nodded and said, "Hmm. Guess I should be glad that your fathers didn't work it out, huh?"

Victus laughed, "I assure you, Shepard… even if it had worked out, you and Garrus would have still met. Such bondings are fate, and there is no escaping that. You and Garrus are meant to be… and I hope the two of you will be very happy together. I hope you will both consider me a friend" He stood up as he spoke and once again, Shepard felt as though he were uncomfortable.

Shepard stood up as well and said, "I'm honored, and I'm sure Garrus is as well, to consider you a friend, Adrian… once we defeat the Reapers, I hope we'll all have a better chance at living a life…."

She moved to the door, still unsure what the entire conversation had been about. As she left the room, Victus stood in the door way and said, "I certainly hope so, Shepard…. Perhaps you and your mate will be my guests on Palavan at some point… providing, of course, we have a home left to invite guests to."

Shepard turned and said, "We will, Adrian… we will succeed and we will have lives in the future."

"An optimist… refreshing. Then bear this in mind, Shepard… should you ever need me, professionally or personally, I would welcome the chance to… assist." And the Primarch of Palavan shut the door, leaving Shepard standing, mouth opened and wondering,

"Did he just make a pass at me?"

_**CHAPTER BREAK**_

The Summit was NOT going well. The members of the summit members, the turian, salarian and krogran contingents had done little but argue. Dalatrass Linon expressed, loudly and frequently, that including the krogan was a direct insult to the salarian people. Primarch Victus was very helpful in moving both Linon and Wrex past the situation and to talk about the real reason for the summit. Wrex managed to annoy the Primarch by laughing at the turians about face, accusing the them of "crawling back to ask for help". The Dalatrass pissed Wrex off by begging Shepard not to allow history to repeat itself and rely on the krogran, thereby allowing them to be raised before their time.

When Wrex announced that the only way the krogan would help is if a cure for the genophage was found there was a collective gasp and the Dalatrass reminds the group that the reason the krogan were made infertile to begin with was their rapid breeding and aggressive personalities. The Dalatrass did, however, admit that a facility on Sur'kesh is involved in studying the genophage.

In the end, the summit ends with no true resolution. Shepard orders Joker to set course for the co-ordinates that Mordin left, and was confirmed by the Dalatrass. Before leaving the Normandy, the Dalatrass managed to get Shepard alone chided her for even considering curing the genophage. Shepard interrupted her and told her that if it meant receiving the help with the Reapers, she'd do whatever it took, including curing the genophage. Before leaving, the Dalatrass left her with one last thought, "Bullies have few friends when they are needed."

_**END**_

_Yes, short chapter… sorry about that, but it seemed a good place to stop until "Priority Sur'Kesh. Hold on, maybe there will be two chapters coming up! THANK YOU Marie Fan-Writer for being a PERFECT Beta! And thanks for all the reviews!_


	40. Scene 36

_**Ok folks, I've given this a lot of thought… rather than going through each mission, especially since most of the missions are the same as the game, I'm going with synopsis, noting changes, and highlighting shipboard going on's. As I've said before, while there are changes that I will be making to the game, most of the missions leading up to the final things are the same as the game. So… on with the story.**_

_**CHAPTER START**_

Sur'Kresh was a mess, a success, but a mess. Wrex nearly derailed the mission before it really started by leaping from the shuttle in a "krogan air drop", and nearly got shot for his trouble. Meanwhile, Cerberus beat them to the facility and they ended up fighting with the salarian's to get Mordin and the remaining fertile krogan female to safety before Cerberus managed to capture them. WHY Cerberus wanted the female, now called Eve, since she wasn't ready to give them her real name, was confusing. But, unfortunately, dead men can't talk, so they wouldn't find out from them.

Back on the ship, Mordin took Eve aside and assured Wrex and Shepard that he could synthesize the cure from her blood. Leaving them to work on that, Shepard made her way to the war room. When she arrived, she found Wrex and Victus were standing in the same room, and surprisingly being relatively civil. Shepard walked in and said, "Ok… we're on our way to Tuchunka… Mordin assures me that he will have the cure synthesized by the time we get there… and Wrex, you'll honor your agreement at that point, right?"

Wrex laughed his booming laugh, "Yeah, Shepard… cure the genophage and krogan will stand with you and send support to Palavan."

Shepard nodded, grinning, "Good… now… is there any other business we need to deal with?"

Victus cleared his throat and said, "When you have a moment, Commander, there is something I'd like to… speak to you about." Shepard nodded,

"Ok, Primarch… do we need privacy?"

Victus glanced at Wrex and said, hesitantly, "That might be best, Commander. If my… fellow representative wouldn't mind…"

Wrex grunted, "I'm going to hunt Garrus down anyway… time to irritate the little turian… try to figure out how he managed to get a female like Shepard. Oh, and Shepard? When you have a minute, I want to talk to you…."

Shepard nodded at him and when he walked past her, he patted her shoulder… which nearly sent her headfirst into the map. Recovering her balance and rubbing her shoulder, she looked at Victus and suggested "How about we step into the com room, Victus?" He nodded and gestured for her to precede him into the room.

Turning to watch the normally dignified and calm turian, she saw him pacing the room, looking anything but calm and collected. Quietly, Shepard asked, "Adrian? What's wrong?"

Sighing, he turned, moving into a parade rest as he replied, "We've had a ship disappear, Commander… and I am forced to ask for your assistance once more."

Shepard nodded, leaning against the wall and crossed her arms, then said, "Ok… and since you can't talk about this in front of Wrex, I assume that it's something about Tuchunka?"

Victus looked uncomfortable, his mandibles held tight to his face as he said, "Yes… they were shot down over Tuchunka and now they're pinned down by an advanced Reaper force."

Shepard continued to watch Victus, and then said, "What are they doing there?"

Now Victus looked even more upset, if his mandibles got any tighter to his face, she was afraid they'd snap off. "I'm sorry, Commander… I truly am; that's classified information that I can't release. But please believe me when I tell you it's a matter of galactic peace. I know that I'm asking for a lot of trust… but I assure you that if I could tell you, I would; and that this unit **MUST** be saved and **MUST** finish their original mission."

Shepard watched him for some time, enough that he began to fidget, then she shrugged and said, "Ok, Primarch… I'll trust you. After all, that's what being an ally is about, right? Trust." If anything, Victus looked even more uncomfortable, but before he could speak, she continued, "So we'll do what we can to get to your men and get them out of there… and finish the mission if we can." When the Primarch began to speak, Shepard raised a hand and said, "No… that's the best I can promise, Primarch. Since you can't tell me what the original mission was, I can't promise to finish it… if you want to change your mind…" she let the silence simmer a few seconds, but the Primarch didn't say anything, so she continued, "Ok. So we'll do what we can, within the confines of my duty and personal beliefs."

Victus hesitated, then said, nodding, "Very well, Commander; I understand and accept your word. And please believe me, if and when I can tell you the entire situation, I will."

Shepard nodded, "All right then we'll get there as soon as we can, Primarch…"

Shepard turned and left the war room without looking back and Victus' sub-harmonics keened a little, he hated the loss of trust he knew his failure to fully explain had caused. But he felt boxed in by everything else.

_**CHAPTER BREAK**_

Shepard was more than a little irritated by the Primarch's refusal to fully explain the situation. While she understood on some level, the refusal of him to tell her what the original mission was bothered her. So she asked, "Edi… what is the location of Officer Vakarian?"

"Officer Vakarian is in the starboard lounge with the krogan representative."

Shepard nodded, "Good… I can take care of both things at once…."

Entering the lounge, she found Wrex and Garrus laughing and sharing war stories with Vega. She walked in and Vega was the first to notice, "Hey Lola! Scars here was just telling me about your trip after Saren… it true you managed to talk that indoctrinated shit head into killin' himself?"

Shepard nodded, moving to sit next to Garrus, who moved over a bit to make room for her. Wrex was standing near the window, his expression much less exhausted than he had been. Wrex had a grin on his face as he said, "Shepard talks a good game… and she's got the quad to back it up…."

Shepard laughed, "Thanks Wrex… I know that's a compliment. So… you're telling war stories… Vega told you the one about how he rammed the shuttle into another one on Mars?"

Vega laughed, "Hadn't got to that point, yet, Lola… but I would have… it's one of my better moves…."

Garrus laughed, "Having fixed the Mako too many times to count from Shepard's driving, I can assure you that wrecking a vehicle is not a glowing high point of a career, Vega…." Shepard smacked Garrus shoulder, then shook her hand, wincing. Garrus laughed, "You know, Shepard… as often as you hurt your hand on me, you'd think you'd learn not to do that…."

Shepard mock growled at him, and Wrex and Vega laughed as Wrex said, "Better be careful, Garrus… you'll find yourself sleeping with the Varren… by the way, how is the Varren doing?"

Shepard chuckled, but it was Garrus who said, eyes flashing with amusement, "He's a menace… but for some reason Shepard loves the thing…."

Wrex grinned and said, "Speaking of females, I'm going to talk to mine always a good thing to keep in their good graces…."

Shepard stood and grinned, "Your female, huh? She know that, Wrex?"

Teasing her, Wrex replied "She will… when it's important, Shepard… walk with me?"

Shepard rose to her feet using Garrus' shoulder to lever herself up, and he raised a hand to squeeze hers she said, "Yup… let's talk a walk."

Once out of the lounge, Wrex turned to Shepard and said, "I need to ask another favor of you, Shepard…."

Shepard nodded, stopping with him and said, "Ok… I thought you might. What's up?"

"One of our krogan companies, Aralakh Company has gone off of the grid. They were checking out some reports of activity in the rachni relay. It's important to find out if they're in trouble… and if the rachni are responsible."

Shepard sighed, "That's not good… if the rachni are active it's too big of a coincidence that they're becoming active with the Reapers here. We'll get out there and check it out, Wrex."

He gazed at her for a moment, then cleared his throat and said, "One more thing, Shepard…."

Sighing, she murmured, "There always is…."

"Urdnot Grunt is in charge of Aralakh Company"

Shepard cursed, "Damn it… ok Wrex… you've got my attention. Grunt is in charge of the entire company?"

Wrex nodded, eyes alight with pride, "Yes… Aralakh Company is one of the most prestigious of all krogan companies. It's made up of krogan's from all clans… only the best, most ferocious, most feared krogan are accepted to Aralakh Company."

Shepard nodded, "Ok, Wrex… go talk to Eve, and I'll see what I can do to get out to rachni relay."

The two parted and Shepard headed back toward the mess hall, where she caught sight of Garrus leaning negligently against the wall near the elevator. Recognizing the expression on his face, Shepard smiled, as she made a bee line to her mate. When she got close, he opened his arms and she walked directly into them, resting her forehead on his armor. To her irritation, with the addition of the Primarch, or perhaps just out of habit from the last six months, Garrus had started wearing his armor at all times out of their quarters. Despite the armor, Shepard snuggled close to her mate, inhaling his scent and sighing in contentment.

"So… I'm guessing we have MORE to do now?"

Shepard nodded, not moving from her position in his arms, "Yeah… can we go to our quarters? Or do you have calibrations to do?" Her teasing made him chuckle, and he nodded, his mandibles twitching.

"Yeah…definitely…."

Riding up in the elevator, Garrus was silent, having pulled his mate back against him as he ran his talons through her hair, snagging her bun and pulling it out so it flowed down over her neck and shoulders like a living thing. Garrus leaned down and nuzzled her temple, but said nothing, just enjoying the feel of her in his arms. For her part, Shepard ran her fingers over his arms and hands, leaning back against him and occasionally rubbing the back of her head against his chest. When he got her hair down, she chuckled and shook her head, letting her hair fall naturally.

When the elevator opened to the loft, she took his hand and led him to their quarters. Once there, she hesitated; on one hand, she wanted to lose herself in Garrus' arms, forget everything. But on the other hand, she needed to tell him about the new missions they'd been handed. Garrus hands on her shoulders turned her around and he gazed down into her eyes and said, "Stop thinking so hard, Shepard. We've got the rest of the night, if we want it. Help me get my armor off, we'll take a shower and see where it goes… if you let me hold you while we talk… I'm good with that. If we make love… I'm good with that too. Whatever you need… I'm here for you."

Raising a hand to touch his damaged mandible, she said, softly, "And you say you never say the right thing… sometimes, Garrus, you say the perfect thing…"

A self-depreciating chuckle as he put her hands on his armor's seals, "Helps make up for the times I put my foot in my mouth, right?" Laughing she helped him out of his armor and he stripped her quickly before guiding her into the bathroom and the shower.

_**CHAPTER BREAK**_

Garrus adjusted the water, as her hands slid over his body, teasing his plates. Chuckling, he managed to get the water set before standing back and taking her hands, stepping under the spray. She nearly purred with pleasure as he slid the soap over her body, then adjusted the water to wash the soap off before lathering up her hair and rinsing it off. She returned the favor and after rinsing him off, they stood under the beat of the hot water and Shepard arched toward him, his hands sliding over her, smoothly. She ran her hand over his bicep, then up to his shoulders, before cupping his face and kissing his mandibles and lip plates. He slid a hand between her thighs, his fingers rubbing the little nub that she loved so much. He fondled her, reveling in the moans of pleasure that came from her mouth. "God Garrus… that feels so good…."

Garrus smiled, then quickly kneelt, sliding one of her legs over his shoulder he leaned forward, using his mandibles to separate the lips of her vulva, his tongue darting in to flick over the heated flesh. Gripping his shoulders she arched toward him, moaning. Then her fingers slid behind his head, teasing and caressing his fringe. Garrus purred and Lia gasped, the sound traveled from his tongue directly to her clit and made her pussy even wetter.

The one leg she was standing on began to shake and Garrus reached down, slipping it over his other shoulder, supporting her entire weight on his shoulders, Garrus lipped and nuzzled, licking the heated flesh as he teased and tormented her until with a cry, she arched, her fingers gripping his fringe, crying his name as she came on his tongue. He moaned, then stood up, letting her legs slide down so her ankles were still on his shoulders and his cock was pressing at her center. She moaned and gasped his name, begging him. He smiled, nuzzling his way up her body, his mandibles pinching lightly, his lip plates nipping, his tongue working in circles. Standing straight, he rested her back against the wall of the shower as the heated water beat down on them. She moaned as his cock nudged at her entrance, already feeling how wet and ready she is for him.

Gently, clutching what little control he had over his own body he slid just the tip of his cock inside her, making her moan. She tried to move to take more of him, but he'd have none of it. Keeping his thrusts shallow, he continued to tease her until she came again in his arms. Screaming his name, she about writhed out of his arms, and with a grin, he re-adjusted them, changing where the water was hitting. He fully intended to continue to tease her, but once again, she took advantage of her flexibility and wrapped her feet around his neck, using the leverage to thrust herself against him, taking him fully inside her where her slick, wet tunnel alternately gripped and released his erection. Garrus groaned and gave up his intention of continuing to tease her. He gripped her hips and began to thrust inside her, deeply. His lip plates roamed over her neck, her throat, her shoulders, nipping, nuzzling and licking. Her mouth traveled over his face, his mandibles, his chin, his cheeks, eyes and forehead. Her hands went to his fringe, alternately rubbing and stroking, making him lose his mind as he thrust deep inside her. Not long from that point, he nuzzled into her shoulder and bit down as he growled; cumming deep inside her as she gasped his name and clutching him as she came again.

For long moments, the two stood still, trying to catch their breaths. Finally, Shepard chuckled, turning her face to nuzzle his shoulder, "Oh Garrus… you always know exactly what I need. I love you so much…."

Garrus nuzzled her, reaching behind her to palm the water off before wrapping them both in towels and moving them toward the bed. Lying down, he kept her close to him, letting her legs off his shoulders, and she wrapped them around his waist. As he lay them down, he snuggled her close to him, fingers carding her hair and said, "I aim to please." For long minutes they lay there, entwined, their bodies stuck together. Finally, Shepard leaned back a bit and said,

"Much as I hate to kill the moment, I need to ask you a question"

Making a non-committal noise, he none the less moved a bit, so he could look into her face as she began to tell him what was going on.


	41. Scene 37

Garrus held his mate close to his chest his talons idly carding her hair and stroking up and down her back as he said, thoughtfully, "So… Victus needs us to save a squad of his men who are on a mission he can't, or won't, tell us about. They're on Tuchunka, obviously without Wrex knowing, since Victus didn't want to talk in front of him; they're cut off from help by a bunch of Reapers… and not only does he want us to save their asses, but get them to finish the mission."

Arching a little, he looked at her face with one eye and when she nodded, her eyes closed as she rested on his chest, he nodded and went on, "And, Wrex needs us to check up on a krogan company, led by our now grown, baby krogan, which may or may not have found something happening in rachni territory.

"On top of those fun little sidelines, we're supposed to get to Tuchunka and cure the genophage so that Wrex will send the krogan to beat the reapers off of Palavan, so the turians will come to help Earth. Am I on it so far?"

Still without opening her eyes, she held up one hand, thumbs up, and nuzzled her face closer to his chest, murmuring, "Yup… and don't forget that we still have to secure the salarians, who took their toys and went home when we included the krogan; and the Asari, who refused our playdate at all. AND, we have to make sure there is enough support for the building of the weapon that might, if we can figure out how to use it, defeat the reapers; build the biggest armada that the galaxy has ever seen and defeat a group of creatures that is beyond powerful, nearly un-killable, and has for untold thousands of years arrived, wiped out all sentient life and left without anyone being able to defeat them."

For a few moments, silence reined, then Garrus shook his head and barked out a laugh, "Any chance we can just resign and go hunt up some rogue Spectre that needs dealing with?"

Shepard rolled so she was on her belly, still leaning on his chest, but this time, her eyes were open and she looked into his. She laughed sarcastically, "Much more bullshit to wade through and the _rogue Spectre_ that will need dealt with will me _**ME**_."

Garrus pushed her head back to his chest and she obediently snuggled back to where she'd been, pressing a kiss to his chest plate as she sighed. He shook his head, "Naw… if you went rogue, you'd take over the entire galaxy and it'd be us hunting the Alliance, the Hierarchy and the Council…."

Both were silent for a moment, and then said in unison, "Just like old times…."

Laughter filled the room and lasted for several minutes, long enough that Shepard's gut felt like it was on fire and Garrus was having trouble catching his breath. It took a while even then for the two of them to get back in control; Garrus would snort, or Shepard would giggle and they'd both be off on gales of laughter again. Finally, both managed to get control and Garrus said, his voice a little hoarse from the laughter, "Ok; so we go rescue Grunt first, then we head to the Primarch's problem… then cure the genophage. Once we're there, we'll take another look and see where to go from there."

Shepard shook her head against him and said, "You make it sound like a sure thing…."

Garrus snorted, barely managing not to squawk, which made Shepard laugh. "Shepard, it's _**YOU**_. Of course it's a sure thing; not that it'll be simple, because I'm sure that there will be tons of shit hitting various fans and blowing back on us…. **BUT**, the end result is pretty much guaranteed."

Shepard shook her head, her hair moving across Garrus chest like a living thing as she said, bemusedly, "You always have more faith in me than I have in myself…."

Garrus shrugged, "I'm your mate…that's what I do. That and guard your six while making everyone else jealous of how stylishly I do it."

More laughter, broken up by Shepard pressing her forehead against her mate's, and then mostly silence, broken up by the sounds of love.

_**CHAPTER BREAK**_

"You know, Shepard… you don't have to save **EVERYONE **_**EVERYTIME**_…." Miranda had a cloth in her hand and was trying to wipe the dirt, blood and guts off what passed as her armor.

"Yes she does…" Garrus began.

"She's Shepard…" Thane finished, and both males chuckled as Shepard flipped them both off, never taking her attention from Miranda.

Unfazed by either the interruption, or her commander's response, Miranda continued, "You saved the Rachni queen once, and she turned on us again… why continue to throw hope into a situation that keeps failing?"

Silence for a few moments, then Shepard said, "How many times did you hit a wall on the Lazarus project?"

Startled, Miranda glanced at Garrus and Thane, who were watching them interest, then toward the cockpit where Cortez sat, well with in hearing distance and Grunt and the remaining members of Aralahk Company behind them. Keeping her voice low, Miranda said, "There were a few… false starts."

"Yes, you kept requesting more support and the Illusive Man kept sending it, right?"

Miranda frowned, "Yyyeessss… since you're sitting here, that is fairly obvious."

Shepard kept her eyes on her XO, and sat back in the seat, "Why?"

Narrowing her eyes, Miranda tried to figure out where Shepard was going with the questions, "Because I knew I could do it, that the project could succeed… that it would be worth it in the end…."

Shepard shrugged, closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the wall of the shuttle, "Exactly".

Miranda made a face, frustrated. Just because she'd re-built Shepard, didn't mean she understood her all the time. Glancing at the others in the shuttle, she noted that Cortez was smiling, but pretending not to listen. Grunt and his Company were bragging about their success; loudly. Then her eyes fell on Thane and Garrus and she cocked an eyebrow as Thane smiled enigmatically at her and copied his commander, shutting his eyes and leaning his head back against the wall. Garrus met her eyes, his own calm and knowing. Miranda shook her head, she only hoped the Commander's optimism wouldn't come back to bite them in the ass later… again.

_**CHAPTER BREAK**_

"Commander, ETA to Tuchunka is 15 minutes. But you better head to the War Room… I think that Wrex is about to rip the Primarch limb from limb…."

"DAMN IT!" Shepard snarled, latching the last of her armor into place before glancing over at her mate, who was also fully armored.

Garrus grabbed his gloves and her gauntlets and said, "Let's go save the Primarch… again."

In the elevator on the way down, Garrus handed her the gauntlets and Shepard said, "Thanks, honey…. I hope to god these two aren't tearing up my war room… what the hell could have happened? They were both being relatively mature when we got back with Grunt…."

Garrus shrugged, "Who knows, amica… it's a turian and a krogan… no matter how important they are that's a recipe for a fight."

Entering the war room, Shepard took in the entire scene in a glance; the humans were bunched up in a back corner, at least one terminal was smoking and Victus had a pistol pushed into Wrex's ribs as Wrex did his damndest to remove the turian's head form his body. "**ENOUGH!** I swear to god, you two are worse than toddlers… leave you alone for an hour and you're throwing temper tantrums and trying to destroy **MY FUCKING SHIP!**" Both males turned to Shepard, nearly identical looks of shock on their faces. Garrus chuckled and leaned back against the wall just inside the war room, watching.

Shepard snarled, "Wrex, let the Primarch go… Primarch, put that damn gun away. Both of you are supposed to represent the best of your species… and if that's true, then we might as well lay down and let the Reapers have us… because neither of you is showing me anything worthy of saving." Looking shocked, Wrex dropped his hands from the Primarch's throat and the Primarch put his pistol away. They stared at Shepard who nodded and said, "Now, what in the hell caused _THIS_?"

Wrex glared at the Primarch, "They have a platoon on Tuchunka… without telling me!" The Primarch stood up straighter, went into a parade rest stance, but said nothing. Shepard's quiet voice caused Wrex to swing his head toward her in shock,

"I know, Wrex."

"You… you knew they had men on Tuchunka, Shepard? And you didn't _SAY_ anything?" If anything, Wrex looked hurt rather than angry. Shepard shook her head and said,

"Yes, I knew… and no, I hadn't said anything to you. The fact is, Wrex, I agreed to go in and rescue the Primarch's platoon… they're being decimated by a reaper force. I haven't said anything because, frankly, I've been a little busy saving _YOUR_ company's asses… did you tell the turians about the reports from rachni space?"

Wrex had the good grace to look a bit embarrassed as the Primarch's bright green eyes fell on him. But shook his head and said, "Save his platoon and then what, Shepard?"

Shepard shrugged, "He wants me to get them to where they can finish their mission… but I don't know if we'll go there yet." Now it was Victus' turn to glare at the Commander,

"Commander… it is vital that the 9th Platoon be allowed to finish their mission… in the interest of…"

"…galactic peace, yeah, I heard you the first time," Shepard said, sarcastically. Garrus winced; he might be a bad turian, but speaking to the Primarch of Palavan like that made him nervous. But Shepard was still speaking, "When I find out what the original mission was, and I will…" she held up a hand when Victus would have interrupted, "…one way or the other; I'll make the decision as to whether we get the original mission finished or not. I assure you, Primarch, I _**will**_ find out what it is… and I will not make a promise to fulfill that mission without knowing all the parameters." Now Victus was silent, but he wasn't looking at the Commander and Garrus sighed. Shepard continued, "Since you don't want to enlighten us, I won't promise to finish their mission… or help them to do so. I WILL save their butts… because no one deserves to be left to die at the reapers' hands. Beyond that, we'll have to wait and see. Because I guarantee you, galactic peace or not, I will not do ANYTHING to jeopardize either of your races, or the situation I'm trying to create."

Victus spoke so softly that Shepard had to lean closer to hear him, "Commander, I can't tell you what the ultimate mission is…" a snort from Wrex, but the Commander held a hand up to him and he fell silent, "But I can tell you… my son is leading the 9th Platoon, Commander…."

There was a moment of stunned silence, and then Shepard said, "Did you say your son was in charge of the Platoon?"

Victus nodded, then turned from all of them and stood, gazing at the map, his hands alternately gripping and releasing the railing. He said, "Yes… Tarquin. He's… inexperienced and I'm worried that he…." With a glance at Garrus, who was staring back, surprised, "That he might be in over his head. Please, as much as I want the original mission to be finished, Commander… I want my son safe more."

Wrex was silent now, watching both the Primarch and Commander Shepard, his eyes glinting. Finally, Wrex shrugged, "Better go save his kid, Shepard… Mordin wants to rip out more of my flesh… I better go do that and check on Eve…."

Shepard nearly fell over as Wrex shoulder bumped her on the way out, but she never took her attention from Victus. Finally she said, softly, "We'll do everything we can, Adrian… I can't promise you that we will rescue him, but I swear we'll try our best."

Victus glanced at Garrus, who was watching, his eyes carefully neutral, then at Shepard as he said, "That is all anyone can ask of another, Shepard… do your best and work within your ethics."

_**CHAPTER BREAK**_

It was a long, dirty, deadly mission. The 9th Platoon was led by Primarch Victus' son, Tarquin, just as he said. Once they arrived on the ground, they found that it was Tarquin's bad decisions and mistakes had put their mission in danger, and lost many members of the platoon. Garrus explained to Shepard and Thane, who accompanied them, that by appointing his son to a position he wasn't prepared for, the negative fallback would end up on the Primarch as much as his son. They saved the Platoon only to find that the original mission was to defuse a very large, very deadly bomb that had been left on Tuchunka by the turians during the krogan rebellion.

"Makes sense, "Garrus explained, "if the krogans get uppity, they get put down… hard."

Fighting through Cerberus troops, and finally reaching the bomb site, it quickly becomes obvious that the only way to disable the bomb is to get to the on board controls. Shepard headed toward it, but was stopped by Garrus. Turning to him, she said, "If that goes off… everyone loses…." Garrus' mandible twitched, clenching and widening in his agitation, but before he can answer her, Tarquin steps up to them and says,

"Commander… please… this is my duty. Let me try to redeem myself for my failures…" Shepard hesitated, then nodded and Tarquin headed out onto the bomb to defuse it. As he worked his way through, he discovered that when he defused a section, it would release a clamp; the last clamp would drop the bomb into the crater. He told Shepard and she ordered him to come back, that they'd figure another way out, but Tarquin told her that this was their only chance. And with a final, "Victory, at any cost", threw the triggers down and fell to his death, the explosion of the bomb a final epitaph for his sacrifice.

On the way back to the Normandy, Garrus tried to comfort her, but his innate honesty made that difficult. Shepard asked if the Tarquin's final act would undo the initial bad decisions.

"I don't know… we're a hard bunch to please. Society first, platoon first… that's how we're raised. His sacrifice was powerful, but sacrifice in war is expected."

Back on the Normandy, Shepard's first stop, before she went to the Med bay, or her quarters to change, was the war room. Victus turned his expression anxious, excited and hopeful. But one look at her face, and she actually saw his face, his entire being collapse into himself. Without a word, he turned and walked to his quarters. Wrex, for his part, said nothing, shaking his head. Gazing at the direction the turian had disappeared, he said, "It's strange, isn't it? Just when the krogan are getting their children back, Victus loses his. Fate takes with one hand, and gives with another."

Shepard was watching Victus, "His son died a hero… he righted an old wrong, and saved a lot of people. No matter what the turian's did in the past, Tarquin is a hero to the krogan as well as the turian people." Shepard turned to look directly at Wrex and said, fiercely, "You remember that, Wrex… remember that Victus gave his son to right an old wrong; and Tarquin gave his life for that cause."

Wrex nodded and Shepard headed back to Victus' quarters, hesitating, and then knocked.

"Enter," Victus sub-harmonics were keening with pain, loss, regret, but his voice was calm and collected. Shepard entered the room and found Victus sitting on his chair, bent over on himself, his face buried in his hands. Shepard walked in and sat on the edge of his bed, she reached toward Victus, then hesitated, but took a breath and finished reaching, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"I know it doesn't mean much, Adrian… but Tarquin died a hero. He never hesitated, despite his earlier actions, in the end, he made the decision that saved a lot of lives. He was… a good turian, a good soldier."

Victus reached up to cover her hand, squeezing gently, and said, "Thank you for your kind words, Shepard… you're right, it means little at this point. But I know it will later… right now… right now I'm not the Primarch of Palavan… I'm just a father who has lost his only son." He probably didn't realize it, but he was gripping her hand as though it was a lifeline. She squeezed back and said, her voice powerful and fierce, "We're going to have vengeance for all the losses, Adrian… I swear it. The reapers will rue the day they came to collect us…."

Victus gazed at her, his eyes haunted and filled with pain, "I know that you believe that… and honestly, I think that if you put your mind to something, it will happen, so I believe it too. Just right now… I don't care."

Shepard met his eyes, knowing nothing she could say would fix it, just like nothing she could say would have made Samara feel better for killing her daughter. She made a decision, one she might regret, but she hoped not. She stood, tugged on Adrian's hand. With a cautious, confused look, he stood too and she stepped forward wrapping his arm around neck, hugging him. Adrian hesitated a long moment, enough time that Shepard wondered if she's screwed up; then he wrapped his arms around her chest and crushed her to him. Burying his face in her hair, he keened in his sub-harmonics, and a low, keening moan escaped his mouth as he clutched her to him. Shepard had no idea how long they stood there, but eventually, Adrian put his hands on her shoulders and pushed her away, his eyes still haunted, but less than before. "Thank you, Commander… I never understood the concept or hugging to give support… now I do. I appreciate what you've done… giving him a chance to redeem himself, to redeem his mission. I need time to mourn my son, though I know that we have little enough time right now. But I appreciate your… reaching out…. more than I can ever say."

Nodding, Shepard turned to leave, but as she reached the door, Adrian said, softly, "Shepard?"

Stopping, looking over her shoulder, she said, "Yes, Adrian?"

"Garrus is, indeed a lucky turian. Once this war is over… perhaps the three of us can… see each other. In whatever capacity you and your mate wish…."

Shepard nodded, "Let's drive these bastard reapers back where they came from, Adrian… and then we can have lives again. You mentioned having us visit… I'd love to see Palavan with you and Garrus."

Adrian smiled and Shepard had a strange idea that they were talking about two different things, but in the end, she was happy to see a slightly less haunted look in his eyes. She left the room, heading to the War room, finding Garrus there, still in his armor. Usually, Shepard kept her PDA's to a minimum… holding hands at meals, a quick forehead touch. But now, she needed her mate. She walked into his arms, feeling him hold her gently; tears, just a few, slid from her eyes and she allowed herself a moment to mourn. Then standing up, she turned to walk from the war room, telling Garrus, "Let's get out of this armor and have a bite to eat… I need to check in with Mordin about the genophage cure. Speaking of which, where is Wrex?"

Garrus chuckled, and despite the situation, the sound made her smile, "He's in the med bay with Eve… I think there's a love match going on, Shepard… on Wrex's side anyway."

Smiling a little, Shepard looked at the map and said, "Life will find a way, Garrus… in the worst of times, life will find a way.

_Hold fast to dream  
>For if dreams die<br>life is a broken winged bird  
>that cannot fly<br>hold fast to dreams  
>for when dreams go<br>life is a barren field  
>frozen with snow"<em>

Garrus looked at her, eye plates raised slightly as he said, "Who is that?"

Shepard shrugged, "It was something that Ash used to read… its Langston Hughes, a 20th century poet."

Garrus wrapped his arm around her as they entered the elevator, "It's perfect, Shepard… just like you…."

Shepard snuggled close to him, as the elevator doors closed and rose to their quarters.


	42. Scene 38

_Just a quick note: The "email" that Garrus sent to Shep in the first part of this is compliments of Bioware… yes, in the IPad ME3 Datapad, there is a "mail" section…. and one of the "emails" you get is exactly what I wrote… I read that and was just about to melt into a puddle of goo…. _

_This mission is one of the hardest of the game for me, the only one worse is the cannon scene of Thane's death, but since I changed that, this is officially the most horrific, tear inducing sob-fest of the game. I search for HOURS on the internet, read the guide (Yea, I bought the special edition game and hard cover book on presale and picked it up at midnight… most I've ever spent on a game! I even won a "Standup display" in the Game Stop giveaway, LOL). Grab some Kleenex… if you're like me, you'll need them….._

_**CHAPTER BEGIN**_

Shepard moaned, rolling over and pulling her sheets over her head, reaching for her mate. To her surprise, Garrus wasn't there. She heard a chuckle and flicked the sheet off of her head and saw her mate standing at the end of their nest. She pouted, which made Garrus laugh even harder; he loved it in their downtimes when Lia was just a loving, normal woman who loved her mate and acted like a normal person; including pouting when she didn't get her way. Garrus reached down and tweaked her toe and said, "Time to get up, Lia… time to save the krogan people, get help for the turians and get the turians to Earth… in short, time to save the galaxy… again!"

Shepard grunted, "Five more minutes…" and tried to roll over and bury her head in their bedding, but Garrus was too quick. He snagged her foot and pulled her down to him, scooping her up in his arms and carrying her to the shower. She wrapped her arms around his neck inside his cowl and nuzzled up to his mandibles.

"Oh no, amica…there will be none of that." Garrus set Shepard down and saw her pouting again, before she muttered,

"I don't wanna… I just wanna go back to sleep, make love with my mate and stay in my nest all day…."

Garrus chuckled, nuzzling her ear and pressing his forehead to hers a moment before he stepped back. "Shower, amica… then armor… come on; don't make me put you in the cold shower."

Shepard glared at him, and he chuckled. That look had been known to make even the strongest krogan cower in fear. Her mate simply chuckled and said, "You'll thank me later, amica…."

Shepard turned to set the water as Garrus walked out of the bathroom, still chuckling. Sighing, Shepard knew he was right, but she still wanted to slink back to bed. She glanced down at her Omni Tool; it indicated she had a message. Cueing the message up as she adjusted the water she read,

_It's late. Just got up for some water. You're still asleep. Wanted to say how beautiful I think you are. Love G_

Shepard felt her heart melt and had the almost overwhelming urge to rush out and throw herself into his arms. No matter the occasional case of nerves, or the stumbling over words, Garrus was one of the sweetest men she'd met… hell, he was one of the sweetest, most romantic people, man or woman, she'd ever met.

Sighing, Shepard put her Omni tool on the counter and stepped into the shower.

_**CHAPTER BREAK**_

"Shepard… you were going to say something earlier… what is it?" Eve, the female krogan watched the commander quietly, and Shepard was relatively sure she was well aware of what had happened. Shepard stood and looked around at Wrex, Eve and Mordin and said,

"Just before the mission, the Dalatress contacted me… apparently they damaged the shroud and if the temperature is not adjusted the cure won't work, though it will seem like it does. She wants me to sabotage the cure… and I told her to kiss my ass."

Wrex laughed in his booming voice and said, "Shepard… as if anyone thought you'd do otherwise… too damn stubborn."

Mordin looked thoughtful, "Can fix shroud… small adjustment… nothing major."

Shepard nodded, glancing around the ground car, feeling her heart in her throat; these people, this _family_ was more special to her than she'd ever expected anyone to be. Wrex, Eve, Mordin, Garrus, Thane, Grunt and Zaeed; they were family along with the rest of her team. Pulling her Mattock from her back and said, grinning, "Let's go cure the Genophage."

_**CHAPTER BREAK**_

"MORDIN! Is the cure ready?" Shepard ran into the rapidly failing tower. Having seen a Thresher Maul defeat a Reaper, she was more sure now than ever that they could do it….

"Yes, loaded for dispersement in two minutes. Procedure traumatic for Eve, but not lethal; Malon's research invaluable."

Relief both for Wrex and herself, she considered Eve a friend, colored her voice as she said, "She's ok?"

Mordin never stopped what he was doing, "Her survival fortunate; will stabilize new government should Wrex get any ideas. Good match; promising future for krogan."

A massive piece of the tower fell into the room, nearly missing them and Shepard couldn't control the "damn" that came out of her mouth.

Mordin glanced at her, pausing his work for a moment, then went back to it, "Control room at top of shroud tower; must take elevator up."

Shocked, Shepard looked up at the tower and saw it swaying, pieces falling off and fires burning, "You're going up there?"

Mordin stopped typing and turned, working on his Omni took a moment, before he said, "Yes; manual access required. Must counter STG sabotage; make sure cure disbursed properly."

Shepard shook her head, refusing to acknowledge what she saw in Mordin's eyes, "Mordin, this whole thing is coming apart. There has to be another way."

Mordin turned and they both looked up at the tower, surrounded by electricity and flames, losing chunks as they spoke, "Remote access not possible; STG counter measures in place. No time to adjust cure for temperature variants." For a moment, Mordin hesitated, his shoulders sagging before he straightened up and said, "No. No other option. Not coming back; suggest you get clear. Explosion likely to be… problematic." Without a backward glance, Mordin strode toward the elevator, and Shepard went after him, not willing to lose him, not willing to accept that his loss was inevitable.

"Mordin… NO!" Mordin turned, his eyes kind, understanding her emotions, but accepting what to him was inevitable, the justice of the situation.

"Shepard… please. Need to do this. My project; my work; my cure… my responsibility. Mordin closed his eyes, a long moment passed, then Mordin said, "Would have liked to have run tests on the seashells…."

Tears in her eyes, sorrow in her heart so deep she thought it would choke her, she finally accepted it. She spoke softly, "Mordin… I'm sorry…."

Mordin gazed at her, eyes sad, but still determined, "I'm not; had to be me…" Mordin turned to walk into the elevator, then turned back and as the doors closed, she heard him say, amusement coloring his voice, "Someone else might have gotten it wrong."

Their eyes met and Shepard saw a lot in those obsidian eyes, pride, remorse, determination and the affection she'd grown so used to; had taken for granted. As the elevator rose up, Shepard watched until he was out of sight, then turned and made her way out of the shroud, determination in her step, and nearly blinded by the tears in her eyes. But she heard Mordin over her com, knowing that she was probably the only one with the jamming that would hear him.

Mordin sighed, deeply, and then as he made his way to the controls entered the code to override the sabotage, began to hum, then sing, softly,

_I've studied species turian, asari and batarian..._

He continued to work, humming softly, then breaking into song again, as the computer told him the temperature was within optimal range, disbursement commencing,

_My xenoscience studies range from urban to agrarian… I am the very model…._

His voice stopped suddenly as a huge explosion rocked the shroud and Shepard, on the ground looked up, seeing the top of the shroud explode, the cure already spraying out, returning the children that had been stolen from the krogan. She knew Mordin was dead, even without the silence of the com, there was a sudden hole in her heart… her hands trembling, she reached out to catch a flake… the cure. A part of her, the gallows humor that had kept her sane through all the shit, _or maybe it's a piece of Mordin… fitting, the krogan will now breath the cure and Mordin. _It melted in her hand and she sighed, not stopping the tears this time, as she mourned her friend.

At that moment, the krogan arrived and stomped out of the ground vehicles, stopping to look up in awe as what looked like snowflakes flew from what was left of the shroud. Turning, Shepard walked back to the ground car, picking up her team as she went. No one said anything, either they felt the emptiness of Mordin's absence, or the look on her face was enough. Wrex and Eve joined them and the ground car turned to take them back. The ride was silent, the final scream of metal as the shroud finished coming down; a fitting headstone for salarian that had done what he felt was right… and corrected that choice when he changed his mind.

As they walked into the arena that was sacred to the krogan, Wrex spoke, "A long time ago, my father betrayed me in this place… his own son. Tried to kill me; so I had to kill him, right over there." The krogan pointed, then went on, "That's what the genophage reduced us to… animals. But you changed that today, Shepard."

Eve stood next to Wrex and said, "Now we'll fight for our children… not against them. It's just a pity Mordin had to die."

Shepard said nothing for a few moments, moving around and leaning on a stone, her back to the krogans. "He wouldn't have had it any other way. And wherever he is… he's putting in a good word for us."

Wrex, never one for emotions, none the less tried, knowing the pain she was in from the way she held herself, tried to lighten the mood with humor, "We'll name one of the kids after him… maybe a girl." Wrex chortled as Eve walked up, smacking Wrex on the back and trying for a more diplomatic response,

"But you, Commander, we can thank you personally."

Taking the hint, Wrex went back to business, "Tell the turians I'll be deploying troops to Palavan immediately. And when you're ready to kick the Reapers off Earth, you let me know. The krogan are back in business."

Shaking her head, Eve offered her hand to Shepard and said, "Goodbye Commander."

Despite her pain, Shepard said, concerned, "What will you do now?"

Eve responded, gently, "Spread the hope you've given us. Even now, there are clans gathering in the Kelphic Valley. I'll go speak with them and make sure this gift isn't squandered. Thank you, for all that you've done. And know that Urdnot Bakara calls you a friend," with a small nod, Eve… no, Bakara, stepped back. Shepard nodded, honored, then turned to go, but Wrex called,

"Shepard! Wait." Shepard turned and found herself nose to nose with Wrex. "You came through when we needed you most Shepard. You've been a champion to the krogan people, a friend to Clan Urdnot… and a sister to me." Wrex reached out and clasped her hand as he continued, "To every krogan born after this day, the name Shepard will mean hero." Wrex pulled her to him, their clasped hands between them and gave her the closest thing to a hug the krogan had.

Shepard found herself unable to speak, her voice choked with tears, but Wrex and Bakara seemed to understand as she punched Wrex's shoulder, nodded to Bakara and left the krogan sacred place heading for the shuttle.

_**CHAPTER BREAK**_

The shuttle ride to the Normandy was quiet, each lost to their own thoughts. Surprisingly, Zaeed was the first to speak, his voice quiet as he said, "Commander… he got what he wanted… what most of us want. He died with his boots on, doing what he did best. Not much comfort, but he died a ga'damn hero…. And he knew what he was signin' up for… we all did."

Garrus was sitting next to his mate, his hand resting on hers and felt her tense. He prepared to snap at the old merc, to tell him to shut up, but Shepard spoke first, "I know, Zaeed… If he could have chosen his death, this is what he would have chosen… for all his talk about finding sea shells… he never wanted to wither away. He was a soldier; and he died a soldier. Thank you… it means a lot your speaking up…."

Silence reigned again, and then Garrus sang, his voice soft,

_I am the very model of a scientist salarian…_

A laugh and then Thane, his voice remarkably melodic sang,

_I've studied species turian, asari and batarian,_

Grunt grinned, but thankfully refrained from singing, but Zaeed, whose voice was an even bigger surprise than Thane's, a deep, rich alto, sang,

_I'm quite good at genetics, as a subset of biology, because I am an expert, which I know is a tautology,_

And then Garrus, Thane and Zaeed sang together, as Grunt laughed and Cortez hummed along,

_My xenoscience studies range from urban to agrarian…_

And Shepard finished, her voice strong despite the tears,

_He was the very model of a scientist salarian…._

Her voice trailed off, drawing the salarian out just as Mordin had… and the rest of the trip was silent. There just didn't seem to be much else to say.

_**END**_

_Yeah, short chapter, but this kills me… and I know Wrex's calling Shepard his sister is out of place, but I wanted it in there, without doing the entire mission, LOL._


	43. Scene 39

_Thanks to Bioware, et all for the Mass Effect universe and for screwing up the ending of the 3__rd__ game so badly I had to write my own! Thanks to Marie Fan-Writer, my beloved beta who kicks SERIOUS butt on editing! Also, I know that in the game, certain missions have to completed in certain orders… but what the hell, this is my version, right?_

_**CHAPTER BREAK**_

It was a two day trip back to the Citadel, and the ship had an empty feeling that Shepard hated. Every time she went into Mordin's lab to get to the war room, she felt like crying again. Grunt had decided to gather his things and stay on Tuchunka, figuring he could do the most being sent to either Palavan or elsewhere. To Shepard's amazement, Miranda had come to her and requested permission to leave the ship as well; she'd gotten some intelligence about something Cerberus was up to and nothing Shepard did or said would convince her to share until she was sure. In the end, Miranda looked Shepard in the eye and said, "It concerns Ori as well, Shepard…." And Shepard had, of course, given in. Zaeed had also left, saying he needed to make some visits to several Blue Suns cells, and going on the Normandy, while impressive, might cause more problems.

So Shepard was left feeling like a mother with empty nest syndrome as she sat in the mess, Urz by her side trying his best to humor his mistress. She'd asked Wrex if he thought the Varren would be best left behind, but he had assured her that no danger was worse for the Varren than being left by his mistress.

Primarch Victus had also left on Tuchunka, to meet up with his men and begin the process of working with krogan on saving his world. Before leaving, however, he reminded her of her promise to visit him once the nightmare was over… that she and her mate would be his special guests. Garrus, upon hearing that, stood up, eyes wide, but before anymore could be said the Primarch had shouldered his bag and entered the elevator for the trip to the shuttle. Garrus had been very odd the rest of the day, excusing himself immediately to go work on the Thanx Canon without looking her in the eye.

Shepard had met with Chakwas, and they'd shared a drink, dedicating it to Mordin and both women had been teary eyed at the end. Now Shepard was sitting in the mess with the rather strange situation of having nothing to do. She'd already made her "rounds", gone to the cockpit to talk to Edi and Joker until the pilot had told her, in no uncertain terms, that while he enjoyed her occasional visits, having her "hovering" over him was irritating… and to leave. Muttering about being kicked out of the cockpit on her own ship, she had headed to the mess hoping to catch someone to talk to.

Shepard had already had Joker run past the Shrike Abysmal to pick up the Prothean obelisk for the Volus on the Citadel…. Suddenly, she had a great idea, "Joker… change our destination."

"Huh?" Came the not so intelligent answer, but Shepard just smiled,

"Before we went down to Tuchunka, Traynor found a fake answer to a real distress beacon… we're going back to school!"

"Commander… I HATED school! Everyone made fun of me and nothing I did…."

Shepard laughed, "Come on, Joker… it'll be fun!"

"Fun… right… Commander, your idea of _FUN_ usually involves medigel and gun shots!"

"Oh come on, you big baby! You're not the one getting shot at… usually."

Ignoring the rest of Joker's grumbles, Shepard headed toward Life Support, a bit more lighthearted.

_**CHAPTER BREAK**_

Thane was, as usual, sitting at the table. But this time, he was obviously writing someone on his Omni Tool. Pausing when she entered, he looked at her as she rounded the corner and sighed, "Siha… when you arrive with that look upon your face, it usually means we are about to be put into a situation in which personal and psychological damage will happen."

Pausing, Shepard frowned, the said, "That's not true, Thane! I can be happy without the threat of imminent fighting hanging over my head!" Thane looked askance, but said nothing and Shepard went on, still frowning, "Anyway, I just came in to tell you to suit up… we have a mission in…." She paused, realizing she hadn't asked for a timetable, "Joker? How long to the Academy?"

Joker's voice was still irritated, "Two hours, Commander… or maybe that should be Emperor!"

Confused, Shepard said, "Why emperor?"

Joker's voice was most definitely irritated, "Aren't those guys the ones who used to say "those of us about to die salute you?""

Shepard ignored Joker's crack; and Thane's burst of laughter and turned back towards the assassin, "Be ready in an hour and forty five minutes."

"Of course, Commander; as you wish." Thane's normally polite voice hadn't changed, but Shepard was pretty sure there was a "fuck you" in there somewhere. She headed out of Life Support and to the Main Battery, Urz on her heels.

"Garrus," Shepard called out as she entered the Main Battery, but Garrus wasn't at the console, as she'd expected. She moved around to the access alleys and finally found him inside the interior shell, working on something. Kneeling down, she glanced in and found him working on the wiring. Cocking her head, "What are you doing, honey?"

Garrus eyed her from his position, but made no move to roll out of the panel, "Working."

Narrowing her eyes at his tone, she none the less tried for a genial tone as she said, "I was just going to tell you…."

But Garrus interrupted her, his voice tart, though not really angry, "Shepard, this repair is going to take me the better part of six hours. So whatever little plan you've got to blow off steam will just have to wait."

Surprised, Shepard sat back on her heels, wondering what the hell had crawled up his gizzard and died. Irritated, she stood up, "Fine… sorry to bother you, Vakarian," and left the battery.

Garrus sighed, the repair WAS going to take hours… but it wasn't a necessary repair, just make work to keep his mind busy and off the fact that she'd basically invited the Primarch into their nest… without even talking to him about it. Growling, he went back to work, determined to figure a way to convince his mate this wasn't a good idea.

Shepard stalked to Liara's quarters and knocked. "Come in," came Liara's breathy voice,

"Liara, I need you suited up… oh… sorry!"

Liara was wearing most of her uniform, but parts of it were half off; as she sat in front of the view screen. Shepard noticed a very irritated looking Drell on the screen before she said, "Sorry to interrupt… I'll, uhm… just head out to… err… yeah. Liara, mission in an hour and a half…." And backed out of the room, looking DOWN at the floor; she didn't know what she expected, but finding Liara in a… well, a cyber-sex basically, situation wasn't it. Shaking her head to remove any memories that lodged there, she headed up to the CIC.

_**CHAPTER BREAK**_

"Shepard… may I have a word with you?"

Shepard looked over at Edi's physical platform and said, "Sure, Edi… what's up?"

"I wish to accompany you to the school…."

Shepard wasn't really surprised, she had known from the beginning that Edi wanted to be included on missions. She considered her options and said, shrugging, "Sure… but make sure you're ready…."

"I have run all the diagnostics several times, Commander… I am, as you say, ready."

"Ok then… an hour and fifteen minutes in the shuttle bay."

_**CHAPTER BREAK**_

Garrus crawled out of the cannon's housing six and a half hours later, feeling somewhat better. The time had given him a chance to think and he'd realized that Lia probably had NO idea of what she'd agreed too. She wasn't overly understanding of the turian way, and archaic turian ideas were definitely beyond her understanding. She probably thought the Primarch meant a nice, platonic visit. Grinning, Garrus considered what the Primarch was going to think when he realized that his invitation wasn't exactly what he'd expected. Still chuckling, he headed toward the mess, looking for his mate. Surprised, he realized that not even Urz was there; frowning, he said, "Edi, where is Commander Shepard?"

"Commander Shepard is not on the ship…."

Ice made its way down Garrus' back as he said, "Spirits, Edi… she's not on the outside of the ship, is she?"

Edi's calm voice replied, "No, Officer Vakarian… Commander Shepard is on a mission."

"WHAT! What kind of mission?"

"We receive information that Grissom Academy was under attack and the turian response was deemed to be a false response, most likely from Cerberus. So the Commander took my platform, Mr. Krios and Dr. T'Soni to the school to evacuate the students."

Garrus exploded, "SHE DID WHAT?" Seeing red, he slammed his way into the elevator and took it to the CIC, heading to the cockpit. Finding Joker an irritated, nervous wreck, Garrus snapped, "Give me the sit rep, Joker."

"They met up with Cerberus… they're under fire."

"Open a damn channel…."

"What is it, Joker?" Relief washed through him at his mate's voice, but the sound of gun fire in the background made him tense back up,

"Where the hell are you, Shepard?"

"Garrus? Is the Normandy ok?"

"Yeah, of course the Normandy is ok… what I'm worried about is her commander! What in the Spirit's name are you DOING down there?"

Shepard's voice was tense, "Can we talk about this a little later, Garrus? I'm a little busy now…." The sound of gunfire and an explosion was loud in the cockpit and Garrus started to answer, but the coms went dead. He glared at Joker, who held up his hands and said, "She cut the signal, Garrus… nothing I can do!"

Turning, the enraged turian made his way to the elevator and headed to the shuttle bay, intending to take a shuttle down to her. Once there, however, he ran into another problem. The only working shuttle was the one that Shepard had taken… and Cortez was currently leading Cerberus on a merry chase to avoid getting shot down. Growling, Garrus slammed his fist into the wall, nearly kicking the robot dog that walked around the shuttle bay. He felt bad, though it was a robot and immediately stopped to "pet" it, much to Vega's amusement.

Garrus snarled at the human marine, "What's funny, Vega? You want to go a few rounds and see if it's still funny?"

Vega held up both hands, he wasn't a coward, but he wasn't an idiot either. Sparring with a pissed off, worried turian was a recipe for death or dismemberment. Not getting any comfort in the shuttle bay, Garrus headed up to their quarters.

"Joker… you inform me the SECOND they head back here… or if they run into any real problem… or the damn idiot shuttle pilot gets his ass back here… you hear me?"

"Loud and clear, Garrus…."

Annoyed, irritated, furious, worried and anxious, Garrus slammed his way into the quarters he shared with his mate and dropped to the couch, trying to find something to busy himself with.

CHAPTER BREAK

Joker came over the comms, "Hey Jack…now that you're military, you gonna wear a uniform? Or just get the officer's bars tatood on?"

"Screw you f…Flight Lieutenant…"

Joker was laughing, "What was the hell was that?"

Kaylee Sanders said, smiling, "Jack promised to watch her language in order to maintain the professional integrity of one of our teachers…."

Joker crowed, "What do you have a swear jar or something? I'll be if we emptied that thing, we could buy another cruiser!"

"Cover your ears kid… Hey Joker… fuck you!"

Shepard chuckled as Kaylee Sanders shook her head, and the various teens that Jack was responsible for laughed, knowing exactly what their teacher had said. Joker just laughed, then said, his voice a bit more serious, "Commander… Garrus is waiting for you in the shuttle bay… he's… err… not happy."

Shepard frowned, and then shrugged, "Guess he'll have to get happy in the same armor he got pissed in, then."

Joker nearly choked, "No offense, Commander… but I'll let **YOU** tell him that!"

Jack laughed, "Birdman still having separation anxiety, Shepard?"

Shepard chuckled at the "psychotic biotic," "Something like that, Jack… you get the kids settled in the forward lounge… though your cubby is still available…."

Jack laughed, "Sounds really inviting, Shepard… but leaving these brats alone aint gonna happen…."

They disembarked from the shuttle and Garrus was the first thing they saw. Dressed in heavy turian armor, he paced back and forth, occasionally glaring in the direction of the shuttle. Jack grinned, "Hey Birdman!"

Looking surprised, Garrus said, "Jack… what are you doing here?"

"Teaching…."

Garrus was forced to chuckled, "Fine, if you don't want to tell me…." She glared at him, and then stormed through, shoving him backwards as he watched her go, followed by several young teen and an older woman, who smiled reassuringly.

Shepard stepped out, "Liara, show Dr. Sanders to one of the VIP rooms, will you? And the kids and Jack can go in the starboard lounge…."

Thane stepped from the shuttle, giving Garrus a small smile, he touched Shepard's shoulder as he went by and Shepard grinned at him, "Good sniping, Thane…" He glanced at Garrus, nodded and left as Edi walked from the shuttle, to Garrus' growing shock.

"Thank you, Commander, for allowing me to accompany you… I believe I can be of assistance in the future…." As the ship's platform left, Urz walked out of the shuttle and Garrus stopped and glared. Urz snorted at him, and then jogged over toward Vega who was watching with a grin. Seeing that Garrus was seething, Shepard stepped up close to him and said, calmly, "Let's go to our quarters first, please? NO need to give anyone more to talk about, ok?"

Garrus nodding, and said through his teeth, "Fine…."

The two of them entered the elevator and Garrus held himself stiffly next to her, noticing she was rather relaxed. With a sigh, she moved to lean against him, resting her head against his chest, just beneath his shoulder. He tried to withstand it, but in the end, he wrapped an arm around her, sliding a hand up and down her arm, lowering his head to nuzzle her. His anger began to fizzle, but it was still there as they reached their quarters. She walked inside, trusting he'd follow her; pretty good chance, since he'd already followed her into hell… twice.

Inside, Shepard moved around undoing her armor and placing it by the sofa to be cleaned, all the while watching him. Finally, when it became obvious that he wasn't going to say anything, she did, "Ok… Garrus? Just let it out, please? Sitting here waiting for the other shoe to drop is killing me…."

Garrus took a deep breath, and then began, "Why did you go without me?"

Shepard tossed her last armor part into the pile, then turned, wearing nothing but her under armor and said, "I was going to… but when I came to tell you, you got pissy about something and told me you had six hours of work on the cannon."

"I'd have stopped and put it off if you needed me for a mission!"

"I didn't know that, Garrus, for all I knew, that work was the only thing between us and imminent death. Do you want to tell me what got you so pissy to begin with?"

"Why did you tell the Primarch we'd have sex with him?"  
>Shepard sat down on the couch, hard, her mind short circuiting as she said, louder than she'd intended, "WHAT! WHERE IN THE HELL DID YOU GET THAT!"<p>

Garrus narrowed his eyes at her, and then he responded "From what he said…."

This was a _thing_, dammit… Shepard moaned, this was a _TURIAN THING_… this was a _THING_ they were facing and she was going to have to freaking talk about a _**THING**_. Taking a deep breath, she said, "Ok… obviously, this is a thing…. probably a turian thing… so… why don't you tell me, in little words because my mind is not always up on it, what is going on?"

Hesitantly, because this was _SO_ not a conversation he wanted to have, Garrus said, "There is a turian tradition, an old, archaic one, but a tradition none the less, in which a third or even fourth person is invited into a Bondmate's relationship."

Shepard threw herself backwards on the couch dramatically, covering her eyes and saying, "_**WHY**_ would anyone invite another person into their relationship?"

Garrus shrugged, "Comfort… happiness… attraction… there are numerous reasons. But the fact is the Primarch thinks you're open to the possibility."

"Well, shit, I thought the first time he might be making a pass, but I thought I'd nipped it in the bud... now suddenly you're telling me that not only haven't I nipped it, that I've encouraged it? DAMN IT… why didn't I know that turians like orgies?"

Mandibles tight to his face, Garrus stuttered, "Turian's do NOT like ORGIES… there's just an old…."

"To-MAE-toe, Ta-MAU-toe, Garrus… same damn thing. I don't get it… what should I have done?"

Garrus sighed, it was time to bite the bullet and explain what he'd figured out while in the cannon. "Honestly, Shepard… I doubt anything you said would have convinced Victus you weren't interested."

Shepard's face was neutral, but she said, sitting back up, her temper fit past, "Ok… then WHY were you pissed?"

Frustrated, Garrus said, "Because I didn't accept that truth until about the third hour in the fucking cannon."

Shepard watched him, calmly, but her eyes were frustrated as she said, "Ok… look, Garrus…" she looked like she wasn't happy at saying this, but felt the need too, "It's not just your fault… I should have said something when I thought he was making a pass… I just didn't want to rock the boat, you know?"

Garrus sighed, moving to sit on the couch, "I know… Spirits I know. Look, Lia… I was pissed for no damn reason and about 3 hours into the work I realized that you probably had no idea what you agreed to… and that I was being an…."

"Ass?"

Garrus gave her a narrowed look, "Yes, an ass. So when I finished and went to find you to apologize only to find out you'd gone on a mission… without me."

Shepard sighed, held her hand out for him and he wasted no time stripping off his armor and joining her on the couch. Nuzzling him, she sighed, "Just another example of why we need to TALK about shit… I had NO idea there was a _thing_ going on…."

Garrus snuggled her to him, "And I had no idea you actually needed me for a mission… next time, don't let my mouth overload my ass, ok? There is NO MISSION, I don't want to be with you on…."

Shepard nodded, "Ok… can we just… forget this day?"

Garrus smirked, "Sure… except for Jack… and her baby biotics." He thought about it a moment then said, surprised, "Jack really is a teacher?"

Shepard nodded, moving to nuzzle his chest, smiling, "Yep… and she's pretty attached. She's even agreed to limit her cursing to teach."

Garrus shook his head, snuggling his mate against him and pressing his lip plates against her temple, glad the worse of this day was over. Then he shivered, "Just promise me something, Shepard?"

"Yeah?" Shepard was snuggled close to him kicking off her shoes. Garrus watched, that move always impressed him, to remove your shoes, even boots, without hands was damn impressive for a race with feet the size of turians'.

"Even if I'm as ass, **TELL** me if there is a mission… nothing, not the cannon, not the Normandy, **NOTHING** is more important to me than being on your six and protecting you… ok?"

Shepard hesitated, looking up into his nearly desperate eyes; she had known that he didn't like to miss missions, and that he felt the need to be on her six, but she hadn't known the desire was so desperate. "Ok, Garrus… I promise, I'll always tell you when there's a mission…." Shepard leaned up and kissed his mandible, working her lips up over the scarred side of his face, her hands busy on his under armor as Garrus leaned back, running hands over his mate's back. He frowned, something about what she'd said didn't sound right, but at this moment, he really didn't care.


	44. Scene 40

_Thanks to Marie Fan-Writer, my beloved beta for her amazing editing! She's got a hell of a job, trust me…. Thanks to Bioware… for this amazing universe and the HORRIFIC ENDING that made me write my own! And thank you for ALL MY READERS! Those that favorite me or my story, and those that review! YOU ALL ROCK!_

_**BEGIN**_

"SO…"

Shepard looked over at Garrus as they stood side by side in the elevator, riding to their quarters; she frowned at the expression on her mate's face. He looked rather like the amused cat who had just eaten the canary. Figuring he'd go on, she remained silent, and sure enough, he did, "You've adopted another stray… this time a real, live prothean. What next, Shepard? Going to adopt a reaper and teach it to sleep at the foot of our nest?"

Shepard seriously considered smacking her mate, but considering he was in full armor, she knew it would just hurt herself. She also considered shooting him, but decided that it was too much trouble… and she had some plans for him once they got to their quarters. So she simply allowed herself a glare in his general direction, deepening the glare as he chuckled.

"Did you see Liara? I thought she was going to knock the poor prothean down and…" Garrus was surprised when Shepard went pale, held up her hand and said, her voice sounding stressed,

"No… stop right there… NOT an image I need right now…."

Garrus frowned, "Something you want to share with your mate, amica?"

Shepard shivered, "The last time I went to get Liara for a mission, she was… err… talking to Feron on the comm screen."

Garrus frowned, "okay… and that's bad?"

Shepard looked up at him, her face carefully neutral, which he knew meant that she had some strong emotion she was hiding, "Let's just say, clothing wasn't properly in place… k?"

Garrus made a face, his mind creating images for him. "Hmm… ok, glad that was you and not me, amica…." Now Shepard DID hit him, though as she suspected, it hurt her more than him. Garrus chuckled, sliding his hands down to her hips and drawing her back against him, "Amica… you know that hurt you worse than me… why do you always do that?"

Sighing, Shepard rested against him, "Habit… damn Garrus, I'm tired."

Becoming serious, he nuzzled her hair and said, "I know, amica… but you've got the prothean settled…."

"Javik"

Garrus frowned, "Huh?"

Shepard sighed, "The Prothean…his name is Javik"

"Ahhh, ok, you've got **Javik** settled," he put extra stress on the prothean's name, then went on, "Liara is busy doing whatever she does, everything is accounted for… and _you_, my mate, need a hot shower and some serious loving from your mate."

"Mmmm, that sounds good…." Garrus nuzzled her ear, his tongue stroking her, sliding his hand down to pull her back against him and she murmured, "VERY good…." he chuckled, and the sound vibrated down the Shepard's back right to her pussy. Sighing, she rubbed herself against her mate, and despite their armor, she felt his hips surge forward and heard him growl.

Thankfully, the elevator opened to their quarters and the two of them were able to get in the cabin before they began to remove each other's armor.

Once naked, Garrus stood and scooped his smaller mate up into his arms, despite her squeak of protest, and headed into the bathroom. Starting the water, he set her down, leaning over to adjust the water and shivered when he felt his mate's hands move to his fringe, stroking and massaging it. Standing up he picked her up and stepped into the spray of water. Lia leaned her head back, feeling the water flowing over her and her mate's hands running over her body. Lia reached behind her back and ran her own hands over his hips and legs, rubbing her butt against his groin plates. Garrus moaned and lowered his head, nuzzling and licking a path from her shoulder, where his mating bite marked resided, to her neck and ear.

He whispered, "Does that feel good, amica?" He raised his hands to cup her breasts, rubbing his thumbs over her nipples as she moaned and rubbed against him. He felt his plates shifting and rubbed himself against her, nipping at her neck, gently.

With careful, gentle hands, he washed his mate's hair, sliding his fingers through the long strands. He loved her hair, and she knew it. She sighed, "I really need to cut my hair… it's getting hard to keep in my helmet…."

Garrus lowered his head, nuzzling her, "Amica… less talk… more kisses…"

She laughed and turned to face him, "I can do that…"

Washing each other, they kissed, nuzzled and caressed each other until both were incredibly aroused. Shepard slipped her hands down, rubbing his phallus from root to tip, sliding her hand around him. Garrus moaned, she knew just how to touch him to set him on fire. He palmed off the water and grabbed a towel, drying her hair and sliding it over her body, paying special attention to her breasts and the junction of her thighs. Lia moaned, grasping at his shoulders, head falling back as she enjoyed the feel of his hands on her body. Taking the towel from him, she patted his plates dry, her clever fingers finding the leathery skin between his plates and making him moan in response.

Still kissing, nuzzling and caressing her, Garrus walked them to their nest, careful to support her and keep them both on their feet. Reaching their nest, Garrus slid his hands down her body, gripping her thighs and picking her up. Her arms around his cowl, her face buried in his neck, licking and nipping at his leathery skin. He stepped into the nest, taking her with him and kneelt down as she lay before him. Garrus sat back on his heels, watching his mate writhing, panting, with her eyes half closed. He smiled, the idea that he could make her feel this good, lose control so well; that gave him a power he'd never had before. He lowered his head, rolling his eyes up to watch her face. She gazed at him, eyes half closed, she gasped as he nipped the skin of her lower abdomen, then loving it with his tongue. She mewed, arching up toward him and he smiled again, moving his mandibles over her skin, making her writhe. He nipped her again, on her hip this time and immediately ran his tongue over it, careful to avoid touching the places she so desperately wanted him to touch. She frowned,

"Dammit Garrus… stop teasing me!"

Resting his chin on her pelvic bone, he smirked, gazing up at her, "But it's so much fun, amica…."

She narrowed her eyes and said, "You think so, do you?"

"Yeah…defian…." Garrus literally made a squawk of surprise, amusing Lia to no end. She moved, rolling out from under him and then moving to his back, holding him face down on the bed. "Err… amica? Unless you've been shopping with Miranda, or there is something I don't know… this particular position is not going to do either of us any good…."

Lia chuckled, knowing full well that Garrus was strong enough to roll out from under her if he really wanted too. She might be able to fight him, but he was stronger and bigger than she was. But he lay there, on his belly, after a bit of a shift and squirm to accommodate his phallus, silently waiting for her to tell him what was up. Grinning, she said, her voice against his fringe, her breath hot on his neck and fringe, making him shiver as she said, "So… you like teasing, hmmm?"

"Lia…" Garrus voice deepened, hesitant, "What are you…" Shepard grinned, then leaned forward and slid her tongue over his fringe, from tip to base, her fingers rubbing on the other fringes. Garrus lost any ability to talk… or breath. He made a sound that she couldn't really place, more groan than any of his normal vocalizations.

"Mmm, I'll take that as a good sign…."

"Hmnpm…" came his unintelligible reply. Chuckling a little, Lia ran her tongue over his fringe again, then slowly sucked the end of it. Garrus suddenly moved, grabbing Lia and rolling her to her back, his raptor like eyes nearly glowing with desire. Without warning, he slid himself between her thighs and thrust into her wet heat. She tightened around him and he moaned, pausing to thrust shallowly as she stretched to accommodate him. She moaned, she didn't want slow and careful, she wanted him deep inside her, and she wanted it now. Reaching up, she gripped his fringe, rubbing and massaging it as he growled at her, voice gravely,

"Amica… I can't…."

"DEEPER… please… just take me!"

Growling, Garrus readjusted himself and his hold on her so that he could begin thrusting, deeply. His cock hit the end of her tunnel on each thrust, and he moaned, worried he'd hurt her, but she reached up, rubbing his fringe while her other hand rubbed between the plates on his shoulders and back. Her feet were flat on the bottom of the nest as she thrust upward forcing their bodies together violently.

Together they slammed their bodies together, Garrus' tongue roamed over her, then nipped her gently; over and over his mouth and teeth working over her as his phallus thrust into her, deeper and deeper. She grunted, arching upwards toward him as he growled and arched deeper inside her. She dug her fingernails between the plates of his back, her head falling backwards as she pulled her entire top part of her body upwards, pressing her breasts to his chest, crying out as she reached her climax. Garrus never paused, never slowed down, though he lowered his head to gently lick and nip her ear as he whispered, "That's it, amica… cum for me…. Spirits… so tight… I love it when you cum for me…."

But his hips never stopped pistoning his cock inside her, deeper, harder; he was getting close, but he wanted her to cum with him. His hands dug into the pillows his mate rested on, tightening and tightening as his thrusts became less and less rhythmic as he got closer. His mate fell back to the bed, panting, but she still arched into his thrusts, moaning. Garrus adjusted his thrusts so his plates ran across her clit even stronger, crying out, she dug her fingernails into the leathery skin again, pulling herself upwards, pressing herself into his chest her head falling back as he let his body go, another thrust… then another and he growled, keened, almost screamed as he felt his body spurt it's seed into his mate, his mouth falling to her neck to bite, hard. She returned the favor, biting him, and together they reached heaven.

A few minutes later, as Garrus lay on his back, his mate lying on top of him, he heard her laugh. With great effort, he opened on eye and glazed down his chest into her face and finding her covered in something white and fluffy. Opening his other eye, he frowned, "What _is_ that, amica?"

Arching, so she could look into his eyes her amusement shining through, as she held up two pieces of material for him to see. For a minute, he couldn't place what it was, then his eyes widened and he looked to this left, seeing the absence of the pillows he was used to seeing there; his mate's pillow. Chuckling, she said, "You know what this means, right honey?"

Clicking his mandibles, then fluttering them wider, he was torn between embarrassment and amusement, "What, amica?"

"You'll just have to be my pillow until we get somewhere I can get some new ones…." Garrus couldn't help but chuckle,

"I think I can do that, amica… somewhere you can rest your head, somewhere you can rest…."

Suddenly serious, Lia gazed into his eyes and said, "You are already my safe place to lay my head… my happy place. They say home is where the heart is… if that's true, then where ever you are, Garrus, is my home. And I feel so safe here, in your arms…. I know that's foolish…"

Garrus reached up and kissed her, as much as he could, resting his forehead against her as he said, "It's not foolish… with all the weight on your shoulders, everything you're expected to do… you need a safe place to hide once in a while. If you've found that in my arms, then I'm honored… and I know that whatever the future holds… you're my home as well, Lia…. Our homes are in each other's arms… and if we never find another home, then so be it… because I can't think of anywhere safer, more loving or more special than being in your arms… and having you in mine."

Shepard said nothing, just lowered her head to snuggle it under her mate's chin, to his throat, which he offered to her, showing his trust, every time they made love. She kissed the leathery skin there, feeling him shiver and then lay her head down, sighing. Home was here, and no matter what happened, she would never need or want another.

_**CHAPTER BREAK**_

"To the left, Shepard…."

Shepard did a combat roll to the side, behind a small outcropping of rocks as a grenade exploded right where she'd been. A split second later, the one who'd thrown the grenade staggered and fell a sniper's bullet hole between his eyes. "Show off", she muttered. Gazing around the battlefield as a lull occurred, Shepard counted the enemy. This was supposed to be a cake walk… in, get the info, out. No fuss, no muss… and certainly no Cerberus. Even more now, Shepard hated the term "routine mission".

"A little assistance would be appreciated, Siha," Shepard's head shot around and she saw that Cerberus had snuck up on Thane's sniping position and currently had the drell pinned down. He'd switched to his pistol, but he was obviously being outgunned.

"On it," came Garrus' calm reply and one of the Cerberus soldiers fell backwards, a bullet hole between his eyes. Bringing out her own sniper rifle, she took careful aim and took out another of the soldiers on her man.

Thane was in hand to hand now with two other Cerberus members and two more stood, trying to get an opening for a shot. A second later, both the observers were down and Thane turned one of the men he was fighting hand to hand and used that man to intercept a knife intended for him. Using the Cerberus soldier for a shield, he used his superior training to take out the second soldier, before dispatching the one in his hands. His quiet prayers came over the comm, but he never stopped moving, darting from his cover to another, lower on the hillside just as another wave of Cerberus soldiers appeared from a drop shuttle.

Half an hour later, tired and bloody, the three made their way toward their shuttle having taken out the last of the Cerberus attackers. Garrus glanced over at his mate, who was shaking her head as she gazed at the information on her omni tool. "I hope this freakin' information is worth it… it doesn't look like much, but hell, I'm not a…." What she wasn't didn't come out, instead the sound of gunfire sent all three throwing themselves to the side, looking for any cover they could fine. Considering they were walking across a relatively open field, there wasn't much. Garrus saw the Atlas coming over the hill and curse, loudly. Shepard snapped into the coms,

"Thane, Garrus, stay back as far as possible and snipe…take it out as quickly as possible."

"On it," Garrus said, moving quickly as the Atlas began to fire on him. Finding a large burl of dirt, he threw himself behind and heard Shepard,

"Are you hit?"

Forgetting she couldn't see him, Garrus shook his head, "Shields are down, but they'll come back up…."

Thane, meanwhile, had found a small hole and threw himself into it, using the edge to set up his sniper rifle, calmly saying, "Ready at your command, Siha…."

Shepard's voice sounded a bit odd, but Garrus dismissed it as the situation and concentrated on aiming for the Atlas. "Fire at will, gentlemen…."

As the two snipers began to take out the atlas from opposite sides, and directly in the middle, Shepard lay behind a tiny little piece of rock and opened fire. Garrus paused a moment, seeing what the Atlas was keying up, shouted, "Watch out… rocket…."

Sure enough, the Atlas released a rocket just before a final bullet took out its shields and another caused the thing to explode. Garrus watched in helpless horror as the last hurrah of the Atlas shot directly toward the little rock his mate was taking cover behind. In that two second time period, he kept waiting for her to get up and throw herself to the side, when she didn't move at all, he began to run just as the rocket took out the rock and made a six foot ditch right where Shepard had been lying.

"SIHA!" Thane's scream, for that's what it was, never registered as Garrus sprinted toward the last place he'd seen his mate. He got there first, thanks to the turian's long leg, and then he froze. Up close, it was worse than it had been from a distance. The debris from the explosion covered everything, and he saw no evidence of his mate. As he dropped into the hole, Thane arrived, dropping in beside him and together they began to toss dirt and other debris out of the hold until with a shout, Thane pointed out the corner of Shepard's armor.

Uncovering her, Garrus felt his gizzard clench, his mate lay still, so very still. Thane dropped to his knee and reached a hand that, Garrus noted without thinking, trembled. He rested it on her and Garrus had to fight the urge to growl for the other male to not touch his mate. He bit back the growl and dropped to his knees, looking over at Thane who said, relieved, "She lives… but we need to get her to the med bay immediately… her armor is crushed…."

Garrus eyes went to his mate's body and sure enough, he armor was crushed, nearly making her seem paper thin. "Get the armor off… it'll prevent her from breathing correctly…."

Thane hesitated, "If she has a spinal break…"

Turning on his furiously, Garrus said, "IF she smothers in the armor saving her spine won't matter…." Thane nodded and the two men began to try and force the armor from her body. "We need an immediate pickup, Cortez…the commander is grievously injured…."

Cortez' voice came over the com, his voice harsh with emotions, "Coming in as quick as I can I've got Cerberus on my tail…."

"Dammit Cortez, lose them… she's… bad." Garrus snapped as he used his superior strength to break the closure of her chest piece. Thane had gotten the armor undone on his side and as Garrus grabbed the chest piece and threw it to the side, Shepard gasped, her eyes fluttering open.

Garrus took her hand, leaning over her and saying, "Shepard? Shepard… LIA? Can you hear me?" Her eyes were unfocused, left pupil huge, right pupil nearly a pin prick, but as Garrus spoke to her, she turned her eyes, trying to focus on him….

"A… At… Atlas?"

Shaking his head, leave it to his mate, injured and bleeding, she wanted to know if the enemy was down.

"It exploded, Siha… you must not move. I am going to scan you with my Omni Tool… where do you hurt?" Thane was professional, but Garrus saw that his eyes were concerned.

Trying to sit up, Shepard moaned and Garrus put his hands on her shoulders, "No, amica… don't move… not until we have to. Where do you hurt?"

Shepard tried to focus on the question, but the meaning seemed to be so odd. Garrus touched her cheek, bringing her attention back to him, he repeated his question and this time, she got it.

"Legs… hit with first shot…." Garrus cursed again, exchanging a look with Thane, that's why she hadn't tried to get out of the way. But she continued, her voice hoarse, "Gut shot, went through my armor and shields… maybe arm… concussion…."

Garrus looked at Thane and the grave expression on his face told Garrus that this was serious. "Don't move, Lia… Cortez will be here soon and we'll get you to Chakwas… she'll fix it… just hold on, ok? Keep looking at me…."

He glanced at Thane and found the drell dismantling the medigel portion of his armor, Garrus frowned questioningly, and Thane murmured, "Her medigel dispenser is broken, I need to coat as many of the wounds as I can with this…."

"More in my side pocket…" Garrus murmured back, before turning his attention back to Shepard. Trying to keep his voice upbeat, he said, "Lia, you still with me, sweetheart?"

Thane removed the shin guards to access her legs and Shepard screamed, clutching Garrus' hand hard enough to nearly break it, Garrus raised his voice, "Shepard… look at me…."

Her eyes finally found his face and she said, haltingly, "Sweetheart? You pick NOW to start calling me human nicknames?"

Forcing humor into his voice and face, he said, "Can't let Vega have all the fun… besides, I've always called you amica…."

"Never…." She gasped, moaning as Thane kept working, then went on, "Never asked what that meant…."

Garrus stroked her hair, keeping her attention on him, trying to stay positive for her, "There's not a really direct translation… it's my love, my bondmate… my heart…."

"Ni… nic… nice… you knew… from the beginning?"

Garrus kept stroking her hair and Thane finished putting medi-gel on everything he could access. Garrus glanced at the pelvic piece of the armor, Thane shook his head, minutely, "fused"

The sound of a shuttle hit his ears and at the same time, Thane grabbed his rifle, turning in case it wasn't theirs. Thankfully, it was and Cortez was able to land close to them. Between the three of them, they got Shepard on a back brace; as they moved her, she screamed, a long, drawn out sounds of agony which made Cortez hesitated, but Garrus snapped, "Don't fucking drop her, or I'll shoot you myself." Cortez finished helping them, but she passed out during the transfer. Finally, they got her to the shuttle and Thane turned to Cortez, "As smooth as possible, please… jostle her as little as possible…."

Cortez nodded, and went to the cockpit to take off. Garrus was back to kneeling next to Shepard, holding her hand and stroking her hair, despite her lack of consciousness. Thane kneelt down again, re-applying medigel as he found places that needed it. As she came too again, she gazed at the two of them and asked, "Did we get the information?"

Garrus and Thane exchanged concerned glances, and Thane said, his voice oddly calming, "Yes, Siha… we were successful… be calm…. Relax your body. I know that you have been working with Samara, try to use those skills to calm yourself."

"Not… not really…. Concentrate..." but Thane leaned over and said, his hands on her hair, the one place that didn't seem to hurt,

"Try, Siha… concentrate on your breathing… in and out… feel the air move through your lungs, through your nose… Find that calmness inside of yourself… reach for it, Siha…."

Garrus said nothing, just held her hand, stroking her hair; if this helped her, then he would allow the drell to do anything.

"There, Siha… that is better, is it not? Breath… not too deeply, Siha. Can you find that quiet place in your head…?"

Shepard half closed her eyes, "It's where I go when I snipe… there's no pain… no zombie… just white…." She was calmer, her breathing easier and she seemed to relax. Garrus stayed where he was, stroking her hair as the drell spoke to her softly and guided Shepard to some sort of meditation. Garrus swore if this worked, he'd take up meditation himself.

The ride seemed to last forever, hours and hours; but in truth, probably took less than ten minutes. As they landed, as gently as Garrus had ever felt, the doors opened and Chakwas stepped into the shuttle, immediately Thane stepped back, giving her his place. Garrus, on the other hand, was not leaving his mate. Chakwas glanced at him, but he glared at her and she shrugged and muttered, "Just stay out of the way, Garrus".

Fifteen minutes later, Chakwas had Shepard taped down to the board, secured and in a stasis field and gestured for help. To Garrus surprise, he heard Jack's voice,

"It'll be smoother if you let me get her out with biotics…."

Garrus nodded and he and Chakwas stepped back as the "psychotic biotic" used what was normally deadly powers to gently lift the prone form of the Commander from the floor of the shuttle. Once outside, she guided the stretcher through the shuttle bay to the elevator. Keeping Shepard's stretcher straight and smooth, Jack carefully walked behind them. Shepard awoke with a start and felt the stasis field, beginning to freak, but Garrus stepped forward, "Shepard… don't move… just relax. We're on the Normandy… we're getting you to med bay, but you need to be still…okay?" Shepard paused, her eyes casting around until they met her mate's, then she said, hoarsely, "Did we get the intel, Garrus? Did we finish the mission?" Garrus frowned, she'd asked that twice, but he said,

"Yeah, Shepard… we got it… now relax, ok? Don't make it harder on yourself…."

The doors opened and Jack guided the stretcher through the mess hall to the med-bay, as the crew stood there, watching with shock. As the stretcher settled smoothly down on the table, Garrus caught sight of Jack collapse against the bulkhead, sweating profusely. Chakwas said,

"Thank you Jack… get some headache meds from the counter… and go rest… eat…." It was a testament to how much it had taken out of the biotic that she simply nodded, grabbed a handful of meds and left the med-bay.

_**CHAPTER BREAK**_

It had taken hours, even with the Cerberus cybernetics and improvements, for Chakwas to put the Commander back together. Garrus never left her side. Finally, Chakwas pulled off her bloody gloves and stepped back, wiping the sweat off her brow and said, "That's the best I can do, Garrus. The rest is up to the Commander."

Garrus looked up at the doctor, picking up Shepard's still hand and said, "She'll make it, doctor… this is Commander Fucking Shepard… she's come back from the dead. A little hit from an Atlas won't bring her down."

Chakwas looked at Garrus, nodding. "Of course she will, Garrus… the commander is the strongest person I've ever met… I'm going to get a cup of coffee; if anything changes, have Edi summon me."

Garrus nodded, but his attention was already going back to the still figure on the bed. It occurred to him that this was the stillest she'd ever been. Even in her sleep, Shepard moved; she snuggled, she rubbed, she rolled over and rubbed against him. She was never truly still.

_**CHAPTER BREAK**_

Shepard found herself in an odd place; trees, their trunks twisted and ghostlike. She heard something and looked to the left, seeing the little boy that she'd seen on Earth. He'd been so happy, so representative of everything worth fighting for; and he'd died when a reaper had taken out the shuttle he'd climbed into to find safety. She tried to go after him, but she felt like she was running through syrup. As she ran, she heard a familiar voice, the rapid fire voice so dear to her, and so badly missed,

"Shepard… must not give in… you know what has to be done, must do it. Past… present… future… together…."

She finally caught up with the little boy, but to her horror, he burst into flames right in front of her. With a cry, she woke up to a world in which pain was her only focus, everything hurt, even her HAIR hurt… whimpering. Immediately, she heard her mate's voice, "Edi, tell Chakwas she's awake. Amica? You with me, amica? LIA! Open your eyes…!"

'_My eyes aren't open_', she thought to herself? She'd thought they were… but then she tried to open them. It was close to the feeling of the dream, like she was working through syrup, but eventually she got her eyes opened to find her mate leaning over her, his concerned blue eyes gazing down at her. She moaned and whimpered before whispering, feeling like her throat was filled with glass, "Garrrruuuss… hurts…."

Then the cool, calm voice of Dr. Chakwas said, from her other side, "All right, Commander… since you've decided to wake up from your nap, I'm going to give you something for the pain. If this doesn't help, tell me and I'll give you some more." Then the feeling of someone moving the IV needle in her arm and a burning sensation entered her vein followed by a flush of relief. The pain was still there, but it was separated, apart from her. She looked up into Garrus' face and said, "Did we get the information?"

Garrus exchanged a look with Chakwas and then said, "Yeah, amica… we got it…."

Frowning, she said, "Thane ok?"

Garrus stroked her hair, lowering his face to press his lip plates to her forehead, "Yeah, Thane is fine… the only one who got hurt was you…."

Relieved as much by that news as she was by the pain relief, she lay back, "So sleepy…."

Garrus stroked her hair, nuzzling her temple, "Then sleep, amica… it'll be ok…."

Shepard nodded, "Jus a few minutes… have to plan… the collectors need to be stopped… have to…" her voice faded as she drifted to sleep. Shocked, Garrus turned to Chakwas, who looked concerned,

"The Collectors? Doc? What's going on? Why's she talking about the Collectors? That was months ago…."

Chakwas placed a hand on Garrus' shoulder, trying to keep her concern from her voice as she said, "She's badly injured, Garrus… if it were anyone else, she'd be dead. She's had a major concussion along with the other damage. She's a little confused, or maybe she has a bit of traumatic amnesia. Let's not jump to any conclusions until she's awake and alert."

Garrus turned his attention back to his mate, "You're right… she'll be fine, she's just hurt and confused. It'll pass as she heals…."

Chakwas moved back to her desk, leaving Garrus sitting beside his mate, stroking her hair. Despite her words of comfort, she was worried. The Commander had taken a hell of a hit… they could very well be brain damage. Sighing, she shook her head, deciding to take her own advice; wait until she was truly awake and off the medication.

Chakwas bit her tongue as she cued up an extranet search for traumatic amnesia; the terrible truth was, if Shepard was out of this fight, then they had no hope.

END

_Sorry for the cliffy….let's see where this goes, shall we? Will she remember? Is there brain damage? Can she recover her memories? What else has she forgotten? Ta da…welcome to CLIFFY TOWN!_


	45. Scene 41

The next time Shepard opened her eyes, she did so hesitantly. She remembered waking to a world that was nothing but pain, her entire body wracked with it. To her relief, the pain was considerably less. She opened her eyes and the first thing she saw was Garrus, sitting on the bed next to her. He was half turned, talking to… an asari who looked vaguely familiar. She was glad that he was preoccupied, that allowed her to gaze at him, drinking in the sight of him. As though feeling her eyes on him, he turned his head and immediately his full attention was on her. "Shepard… you're awake. How are you feeling?"

Her voice was hoarse, but strong enough to say, "Tired of waking up in some damn medical facility." The asari laughed and Garrus chuckled and Shepard's eyes were drawn with difficulty from her lover to the familiar looking asari. The blue alien smiled and said,

"I can't speak for Garrus… but I know that I am also tired of being in medical facilities waiting for you to wake up…." Shepard winced, then frowned, why would the asari say it like that? Deciding that questions could wait, she said,

"Understandable… is there some water or something?"

Garrus reached over to pick up a cup of water, keeping hold of her hand with his other one. Shepard tried to sit up, but found herself too damn tired. Garrus let go of her hand and reached a gentle hand behind her head to lift her up, carefully, placing the cup against her lips. She drank a bit and then sighed as Garrus gently lowered her back to the pillow. Shepard asked, "How long have I been here?"

"Only a day, Shepard…"

She shook her head, then stopped with a wince; her head felt like it was on fire. She glanced back at the asari and Garrus and realized they were exchanging a worried glance, so she smiled as reassuringly as possible and said, "Its fine… just a headache…."

Just then, Dr. Chakwas entered the med-bay and smiled as she walked over to Shepard and said in greeting, "Hello, Commander… how are you feeling?"

Hesitantly, Shepard checked her body, then said, slowly to the woman who was obviously a doctor, "Sore, my head hurts… I feel like I've been punched in the stomach and my legs are killing me. I guess…" Shepard stopped and hesitated, frowning, "I… I can't…." Her eyes widened, and fear exploded in her, setting her eyes on fire with the strength of her fear, "I can't remember… I can't remember what happened… what's wrong with me…?"

Chakwas kept her voice firm, her eyes never leaving the Commander's face, she began her explanation "First of all, Commander… calm down or I'll be forced to give you a sedative." Shepard made an obvious effort to calm herself,

"Why can't I remember what happened?"

"You had a serious concussion, Commander… if you didn't have the Cerberus cybernetics, I'm relatively sure you wouldn't have made it back to the Normandy."

Shepard tried to force her body to calmness, clearing her still dry throat, she said, "What Cerberus cybernetics? What's going on? What's the Normandy? Dammit, what the hell is going on…?"

She froze, Garrus had called her "Shepard" and she… knew that was right, but she also knew she didn't want that name. She knew the turian sitting with her on the bed. That was Garrus Vakarian, her lover, her best friend… but everything else was a jumbled up mess in her head? Commander? Normandy? What in god's name was going on? Forcing herself to remain calm, she said, her voice low,

"Where am I? Is the Normandy a ship? And why do you keep calling me Commander? **Who the hell am I**?"

Absolute silence met her cry, and that made her more frightened than before, she began to struggle and only Garrus' hands on her upper arms kept her in her seat until Chakwas could inject something into her IV. Almost immediately, she felt herself begin to calm physically, though her mind continued to churn, trying to force the niggling little feelings into memories. She didn't realize that she was clutching Garrus' forearms so hard she'd actually caused marks on his plates. As she leaned back, the doctor said, "Now listen to me… you're Commander Lia Shepard, you're in charge of the Normandy, a space ship. This…." pointing toward Garrus, she made to continue, but Shepard interrupted her,

"This is my mate, Garrus… I know that… that's the only thing I know, but I know that for damn sure." Something surged inside Garrus and he reached out, slowly to wrap an arm around her shoulders, drawing her close to him, giving (and taking) reassurance and comfort from the movement. The doctor looked surprised, then frowned and said,

"You're absolutely correct, Commander… this is your mate…. Does anything else look or feel familiar?"

Shepard shook her head, "I… it's like there's fish nibbling at my brain. I can almost remember something, but it's just not there."

"Is there a point that you remember your life at? An event that seems the last thing you did?"

Shepard tried, she really did, but there was nothing. It was like other than her mate, she had been newly born. She shook her head, suddenly despite the medication, she flung herself into her mate's arms and he caught her, holding her tightly to him. He kept a gentle purr going at all times, trying to calm her and reassure her.

Liara suddenly said, her voice held tight with worry and fear, "Shepard… you remember the reapers, right? The fight against them?"

Shaking her head where it rested against her mate's "I don't know what a "reaper" is… and why am I fighting? Am I a soldier or something?" Oblivious to the reactions of the two women, Shepard clung to her mate; he was the only thing in the universe that had any meaning… that she knew. She didn't know how they'd met, where they lives or what they did, but she knew that he was her mate….

Frantically, Chakwas gestured to Liara to stop asking questions and said, "All right, Commander…."

"**STOP CALLING ME THAT**!" Shepard was overwhelmed and on the edge of a true mental collapse. The only thing in the universe keeping her sane was Garrus. The doctor, her voice soft, said,

"What do you want us to call you?"

That stopped her mind from racing, and her heart from threatening to beat out of her chest. "I… I don't know. You said my name was… err…."

Garrus stroked her hair, "Lia Shepard… your name is Lia Shepard…." Another frown, and then she shook her head,

"It doesn't sound right… call me...Tal-Lia." Garrus frowned, glanced at the doctor who nodded, her face serene,

"All right, C… Tal-Lia. I'll let everyone know… and I'll do some research, see if I can figure out what is going on. In the meantime, I need you to get up and walk… the cybernetics will be more effective, and the byproducts from the healing will exit your system quicker with some activity."

"I have cybernetics? How many?"

Chakwas hesitated, then replied "A few… but I really would prefer you to try not to ask questions right now, Tal-Lia…."

Narrowing her eyes, Shepard pulled herself up to attention and said, snappishly, "Then how the hell am I supposed to figure out who I am and what's going on?"

Keeping her voice reassuring and light, and cursing silently the loss of Mordin Solus, Chakwas said, "You need to remember the facts, Tal-Lia and if people tell you, it might cause confusion."

At that moment, Shepard passed in front of a mirror and stopped, staring at her reflection in horror. Thinking she was horrified by the bruises, Garrus hastened to re-assure her, "It's ok, amica… the bruises will fade…."

But Shepard cut him off, her gasp of horror loud as she said, eye meeting her mate's, "I'm a human?" For the first time since she'd woken up, she realized that her mate's hand on her shoulder was very different her own; she clutched his hand, staring in shock.

Garrus frowned, his hands on her shoulders squeezed gently, and he said, mandibles clicking, "What… what did you think you were amica?"

Shaking her head, her eyes wide and filled with emotions he couldn't even begin to name, said, "I thought… I mean, I saw you and I knew you were my mate… so I just… I thought I was turian." Shepard stepped closer to the mirror and began to examine her face in it; making notes of her features. It was like looking at a stranger, she looked nothing like the mental image of herself she carried. A frightening thought crossed her mind, even more frightening than all the others and she gasped, turning quickly to grasp the turian's forearms again, "We ARE mated, right? You're not just mollifying me?"

Garrus shook his head, "No, amica… we're mated."

She seemed to relax and Garrus hands went to her elbows, as she turned to the mirror again, examining her face minutely. "We're Bondmates… I know we are…."

Garrus nodded, despite the situation, the fact that she remember HIM and their relationship, despite the lack of any other memory about her entire life, filled him with pride… and fear. "Yes, amica… we're Bondmates…."

Her eyes when she met his in the mirror, were her Commander's eyes, though the half smile on her lips didn't match the look in her eyes, "That wasn't a question, Garrus… it was a statement."

Chakwas voice was firm, and reassuring, showing no hint of fear or worry as she said, "Garrus, take her for a walk around the mess hall… maybe see if Tal-Lia would like something to eat… I'm sure Rupert has made her favorite…."

Garrus nodded, he glanced at the doctor and saw that she was staggered, though nothing in her voice gave that away; her eyes, though, shone with worry.

"Come on amica… let's go see what the cook has rustled up to eat, shall we?"

_**CHAPTER BREAK**_

Zaeed Masani stood next to Thane and watched the darkened windows of the med-bay. He'd arrived back earlier that day, to the horror of seeing Shepard being hurt; bad. Since then, he'd waited; he had faith in her, she would come around, she'd get past it, because she had too. Urz snuffled next to him, looking nervously at the closed doors to the med-bay and whimpering. The verren knew something was wrong with his mistress, she felt different; and he was determined to help her, whatever she needed. Thane and Zaeed sat at a table with Joker, Edi and Jack, all were concerned with the Commander, and none were willing to leave until they heard she was all right. Gardner had stayed awake to make meals for everyone, though none of them were actually eating, despite the sheer number and variety of snacks dotting the mess hall.

When Garrus stepped out of the doors supporting the Commander, everyone surged to his or her feet, but Garrus raised his hand behind her and gave the signal for, "No questions" and "play along." Garrus moved slowly toward the group, supporting his mate and speaking to her softly. As they reached the group, Shepard stopped in front of the old merc and lifted a hand to his face, cocking her head and whispering, "Are you my father?"

There was absolute silence and Garrus said, his sub-harmonics keening with fear, as he said, "No amica… he's part of the team. Why did you ask that?"

Shepard shrugged, moving to lever herself carefully to a sit down, glancing at the snacks as she said, "I just thought… he's the right age… and we share similar characteristics… features and things. And he looked concerned…."

Zaeed never responded, but he stepped forward to place a hand on her shoulder and she only hesitated a moment before she touch his hand. The two shared a look and for just a moment. Garrus frowned, looking between them. Now that it was pointed out, there WAS something familiar in Zaeed's face… the shape of the forehead, the eyes… there was a resemblance. Shrugging off that line of thought for now, he said, "Amica… do you want something to eat?"

"Is there chocolate?"

That was such a familiar refrain from his sweet toothed mate that Garrus began to automatically reach for the cheesecake, handing it to her with a widening of his mandibles, and watched her begin eating it with gusto. At least that hadn't changed.

A few bites in, she hesitated, glancing around at the four people, five if you counted the asari who was standing by the med-bay door. They were all staring at her, and she was beginning to get self-conscious. Almost unconsciously, she reached toward her mate, and felt his warm hand come to rest on her thigh. Clearing his throat, the older man, said, "Well ok then… I need to get ma shit put away… later, _tal __**LIA,**_" Garrus frowned at the emphasis he put on her true name, but Shepard just glanced at him, almost sadly and said,

"Take care, Zaeed…." Everyone froze, including Shepard, who gazed up at the old merc, eyes wide; "Your name is Zaeed, right?"

To his credit, Zaeed gave nothing away, just nodded and said, "Ya… it is. If you need somthin, you know where I am…" and he turned to leave, her voice came out a little frightened as she said,

"No… I don't! Wait… where are you going?"

But Zaeed didn't hesitate, just walked to the elevator as he continued to speak, "Yes you do… and if you want to talk, then you have to figure out where I am… and none of you ga'dam bastards better tell her!"

Shepard frowned as the old Merc disappeared around the corner, "Asshole…" she muttered, under her breath.

Chuckles from the others and Shepard turned to look at the three remaining people, ignoring the asari who was gazing at her as though she were the second coming and going to save the world. Frowning, she gazed at the human male, his face was familiar, but it was his _attitude_ that seemed more so… despite the fact that he hadn't opened his mouth, she knew he was a joker… someone who used humor to keep up with life, and defuse all the bad shit. This human male was her friend, she knew that… but she had no idea how.

Then she turned to the drell; watching him as he watched her with those depthless, obsidian eyes. He blinked, one eye lid then the other, and she cocked her head, watching him. He fascinated her, his quiet strength, his calm, accepting demeanor, his rational, logical attitude. She knew that she enjoyed talking to him, that had she not fallen in love with her mate well before she'd ever met Thane, she'd have… wait a minute….

Eyes wide, she gazed at the Drell and said, "Your name is Thane…" then turning to the human male, she said, "And you're Joker…" The Pilot grinned,

"Well yeah, Sh… errr… Tal Lia…. Do you… err… remember…" he gestured at Edi and Jack, and the world seemed to hold its breath. Shepard frowned, her gaze sliding off the mech, to the slight woman with the huge attitude and power, covered in glorious tattoos…

"Jack…"

"Right on Shepard!" Jack hooted, reaching out to slap Shepard's shoulder, only to find herself grabbed, tossed over the table and on the floor, Shepard holding her arm keeping her foot in Jack's neck. Jack looked shocked, but kept a tight control on her temper, nobody needed to tell her that they had to have Shepard back 100%, and besides, the woman had gotten her good and true. But Shepard, she looked just as surprised as Jack. Releasing the girl, Shepard stumbled back a step, then reached down and offered her hand,

"I'm… I'm sorry Jack… that was rude… I don't know…." Jack took the offered hand and let the woman pull her to her feet, feeling the strength in her. Shepard's noggin might be confused, but her body knew what to do.

"It's cool, She… fuck it, _SHEPARD_… it's cool. But I aint gonna play with you…."

Shepard frowned, she still didn't want to be _Shepard_, because it carried a hell of a connotation to her… she knew that _Shepard_ meant death… cold…. Suddenly, She began to feel like everything was closing in on her, she was having trouble breathing, her body was going numb and she could hear the sound of air escaping. She looked at the people gathered around her, trying to find her mate, but she didn't see him… her eyes fell on the mech and she said, her voice hesitant and scared, "You're the Normandy… my ship… but I lost her. I lost me… I can't… space…." She felt everything closing around her, her lungs refusing to breath, but the feel of her mate grasping her shoulders, his strong, turian hands gripping her and turning her, made her pause. Garrus turned her, his blue eyes met hers and she gazed at him, eyes wide, feeling the terror begin to recede, she took a breath, then another, and whispered, "Oh god… I died… I died out there… how?"

Garrus pulled her to him and she clutched him, burying her face in his chest, her cheek pressed against his keel, she mewed softly, trying to remember… trying to forget as Jack, Joker and Edi stood close, watching her. Their terror seemed to eat at her… just as the asari's…as **LIARA's** expectations pulled her back to the places she didn't want to go. Clutching her mate, she felt the darkness closing in and she welcomed it.

When Shepard went limp in his arms, Garrus scooped her up and hurried to the med-bay, where Chakwas was waiting. Garrus began to explain, but Chakwas nodded toward the wall, "Edi kept me informed; I think she's remembering, but I think that there is a part of her that doesn't WANT to remember."

"What do you mean, Doctor? How can she not want to remember?" Liara's voice was a bit grating, whining; it reminded Chakwas of a child who was being told she didn't get to have a particular sweet.

"Would you want to remember that not only were you expected to save the galaxy, even if you died trying… but that you already had died to protect it once…?"

Liara's shook her head, unable to get her head around it, "She's SHEPARD… she does what she has to do… she always has!"

Chakwas sighed, "That doesn't mean she doesn't want to hide from it…."

"SHEPARD is not a COWARD!" The asari shrieked and Chakwas turned on her, fury caused by frustration and irritation in her voice and stance,

"No, she is NOT a coward… but she IS a woman, a human, a sentient being who wants to live… and not some bloody mech; no offense, Edi; who just does what she's expected with no regrets! Being afraid to die, or hell even not WANTING TO DIE is not being a coward…."

Liara seemed to realize how she sounded, because she calmed herself visibly before she said, her voice once more calm, "I understand that, Doctor… but she's Shepard and she is the only one who can do it!"

Chakwas turned back to her patient, gesturing for the asari to leave the med-bay, "That may be, Doctor T'Soni… but that doesn't mean she can't occasionally seek to be just a woman without the weight of the galaxy on her shoulders all the time."

Liara stalked from the med-bay, not stopping to speak to her crewmates on her way to her quarters. Joker and Jack stared at the med-bay, its windows not darkened and saw Garrus leaning over the prone figure of Shepard, his hands stroking her hair and holding her own hand.

"Damn… I guess I never stopped to think how much she's got on her ass…. Fuck, sometimes with my kids, I feel like I'm being spread thin… I can't let anything hurt them, but how can I protect them? But Shepard, she's got the whole fucking galaxy on her…."

Joker nodded, "Yeah… she's carrying a lot of weight. I guess it's not that weird her mind wants a vacation…. We gotta do something…."

Edi turned to him, cocking her head, "What do you suggest, Jeff?"

"She'll come out of it, Joker… hell, we can't do anything anyway…." Jack looked irritated and Joker knew she hated not being able to do anything. But Joker shook his head and said, to both of them,

"No, not about this… she'll come out of it… she has to. Even if her mind wants to hide, Liara's right, Shepard is Shepard… her mind won't let her hide for long. But after this crap is over, we gotta do something."

He had both Edi and Jack's attention, now, so he pulled his cap down over his eyes a bit more and said, "Admiral Hackett and Admiral Anderson both ordered me to keep an eye on her… to keep her from getting fried… now I'm gonna ask you guys… and everyone else to help with that. The commander has a lot of shit on her… even once this is over; we need to give her some breaks…. Do something to help her, so she's not feelin like she's in it alone, ya know?"

Jack turned to look into the med-bay, "Yeah… I get cha…."

In the Med-bay, Urz slunk toward the bed his mistress lay on. He'd snuck in the door after the little blue girl had opened it and now he was making his stealthy way toward the figures on the bed. He was careful to avoid the doctor; even though she was nice to him, she kept tossing him out of the room when his mistress was in it. Didn't she know that having him there would HELP his mistress? Urz sighed and managed to get under the bed his mistress lay on. The mate glanced down and opened his mouth, but something in the Varren's eyes, some pleading bit of sentience stopped him. Instead he said, "Fine, Urz… just don't get in the way, okay?"

Urz lay there, close to his mistress and felt the bindings of his heart loosen. It always felt like he was being tied in knots when she was away from him, and he knew she had to feel it too. She always made a big deal of scratching him and telling him what a good boy he was when she came back. He heard her whimper, and glanced out, seeing the human medical woman sitting at her desk, and his mistress's mate sitting beside the mistress, holding her hand. Feeling an overwhelming desire to be close to her, Urz slipped out the other side of the bed and leapt up onto the bed, glaring at the mate and the doctor as they both snapped his name.

"No, absolutely not… out you bloody creature! You're not going to…" began the doctor.

"URZ! Dammit, get off the bed! She doesn't need you…" began the mate.

"Urz…" murmured the mistress, reaching out to rest a hand on his head. He lay down, most of his body on the foot of the bed, careful not to hurt his mistress, his head stretched up next to her as her hand caressed him. The machine that beeped a lot began to slow down and Urz whined gently.

"Well… her blood pressure is dropping… I…" the medical lady glanced at the tense Varren and the much calmer Commander and shrugged, "Fine… just… stay out of the way."

Watching his mate relax, Garrus glared at the Varren, who returned it, but said, "Just don't get on her legs, they were badly broken… she's still healing."

Shepard stroked Urz's head, for the first time since she'd woken up, a smile stretched her lips; not much of one, but a smile, none the less.


	46. Scene 42

_**THANE**_

Thane stepped back into the shadows, watching the situation unfold. After Shepard had acknowledged him, he'd felt a thrill, but the look on her face scored his soul. In her eyes, he read desire, attraction… perhaps even love; then there was sorrow and regret. He'd known she'd chosen Garrus, but until that moment, he hadn't realized that there was a depth of feeling she felt toward him. Regret flowed through him and there was a surge of animosity as he glanced at Garrus. As her attention moved to the others, he turned and went to his quarters, making sure the door was shut firmly behind him. He dropped heavily into the chair, carefully putting his sunglasses to the side and burying his face in his hands. Murmuring to himself, "Siha… oh, Siha…."

_**LIARA**_

Liara made her way to her quarters, while she was worried about her friend she was also worried about what was going to happen if Shepard didn't come back to herself. Carefully, she began to go through the reports that she'd had her agents gather and with terror, she saw that the reapers were getting closer and closer to Thessia. Liara didn't need to be the the Shadow Broker to know that her world was in danger; and Shepard was the only hope for everyone.

Part of her understood the need to hide away, to get a break from the omnipresent weight of the galaxy, of saving all sentient life that weighed down Lia. And in all honesty, if it had been her, she wasn't sure if she could have shouldered the burden. But Shepard didn't have a choice; she was the only one who could do it and Liara knew that. She picked up the next set of reports and read through the data pad, frowning. There were several treatments for Traumatic amnesia; some were more… desperate… than others. Despite Chakwas' decision that allowing Shepard to heal on her own, to not put pressure on her, Liara was looking at alternative methods. Some of them scared her, but Liara filed them away; she'd give Chakwas' treatment as much time as possible. But, if Shepard didn't come back to herself soon, Liara determined that she'd do what she had to do to force her back. Thessia, and the rest of the galaxy, needed her.

_**JOKER AND EDI**_

Joker sat heavily in his chair, patting Edi's hand as she helped him sit. He was worried, and since it was just he and Edi, he made no attempt to hide it; or cover it with humor. There was a lot riding on Shepard, but she was a person too, and Joker had always wondered how one small woman could be so strong. She was tenacious, determined, strong and had a will of steel; but Joker was one of the few people who knew that she had a part of her that wasn't "Commander Shepard…" instead it was a terrified woman who wanted to run away and hide. Not that she had, previously, allowed that part of her out very often. But it was there and Joker was determined to find a way to help.

"Jeff… you are worried about the Commander." It wasn't a question, but Joker answered it anyway,

"Yea… I am. You know, she's got a lot riding on her and believe me, I _KNOW_ how important this all it… I mean, the lives of everybody in the galaxy is riding on her… but god, can you imagine how much pressure that puts on a person? I know she'll come out of this… but when she does, we have to find a way to give her a break… I just can't figure out how…." There was silence and Joker glanced at his… well, his girlfriend, to be honest. He loved Edi, had loved her before she managed to get a body. Sighing, he dragged his attention back to Shepard, and continued to try and figure out what to do to help her. Edi was silent… but that was one of the things he loved about her; she always knew when he needed quiet, and when he needed to talk.

_**JACK**_

Jack made her way to the little cubby beneath engineering. Her kids were in the observation lounge, but right now, she needed some alone time. Growling, she threw herself down on a crate, and shouted, "Dammit… this fucking sucks and I fucking hate not being able to fucking do any fucking thing to fucking help. Shepard is a fucking bitch, but she's a fucking friend and if she doesn't fucking come out of this, we're all fucking dead."

Breathing hard, Jack sighed. She felt better now; the cursing had helped. She ignored the fact that maybe it was the admission of her friendship with Shepard. Shaking her head, she stood up, heading back to her kids. They were leaving in two days, as soon as they reached the citadel. They should have been there today, but the fucking Hackett had "redirected them" to get some stupid information. And now look where they were. Still angry she headed up to the elevator. Anger, she could deal with; she'd been angry for years, it was familiar and comfortable. Helpless, that was something she had a lot of trouble dealing with.

_**IN THE SHUTTLE BAY**_

"Hey, Esteban… you hear about Lola?"

Cortez nodded; his attention on the shuttle he was working on, a welding torch in hand, "Yeah… I'm praying for her…."

Vega came over and dropped to the ground next to the shuttle, "You really believe in that _mierda_?"

Cortez stopped; looking at Vega surprised, he said, "In God? Yea, sure I do…."

Frowning, Vega said, "Even now… after all this; the reapers, the collectors… everything that's going on… you believe in some supreme being gonna take care of things?"

Cortez sat down next to Vega, "Yeah, I do believe in God… no matter how bad it gets, you gotta have faith… sometimes that's all that keeps you moving. I have faith in the Commander, I have faith in God…. Especially with all this going on, I have faith… because it's all that keeps me going sometimes…. Do I think that God is going to take care of things? No, but I think he gave us someone who could. So yeah, Jimmy… I believe in all that _mierda._"

Standing up, Vega headed back to his own area, glancing up at the floors above them, sighing, "Yeah… me too…."

_**THE PROTHEAN**_

Javik reached out and washed his hands, drawing them against his armor. He was aware of the situation with the Commander, and if it continued, he was already planning a way to take over this ship… there was little chance of success against the reapers without the rather extraordinary human; thus if she fell, he would take out what he could. Even if that meant a suicide run, he was willing to die, and to kill, to redeem himself and his people as to some extent.

He hoped it would not be needed. The Commander didn't appear to be a coward, and thus he didn't expect her to continue to hide in her mind from the necessary choices she must make. However, he was a soldier, and a commander himself; and one must always have alternative plans.

_**THE MERC**_

Zaeed strode into his quarters, putting Jessie down on the counter quietly, and then moving to drop his stuff by his cot. He'd never intended to say a word to Shepard about her mum, at least not more directly than he already had by telling her the story. Hannah had made her decision, and so had he, all those years ago. He'd have loved to be part of his daughter's life, but Hannah was afraid of what her husband would do if he found out. Despite the fact that her husband cared little for either Hannah or her child, he cared greatly for keeping what he considered to be his. Hannah feared that he would hurt their daughter if he found out she wasn't his. Zaeed had offered to marry his love, swore to protect her and their child, but Hannah had begged him to let her make this decision, though she knew it wasn't fair to him.

All these years later, it was still his biggest regret; allowing the love of his life to walk away from him, carrying his child and cutting him out of their lives forever. He'd kept watch over them both, as much as possible. His distraction had been his undoing with Vido; the bastard had used it to attack him. Thankfully, Vido had never known about Hannah or his daughter, but he'd known that Zaeed was distracted and that had been something he could take advantage of. After that, it took Zaeed months to heal, and he'd lost track of Hannah and his daughter for a while. Then life interfered, and while he thought of her often, he moved forward.

When he'd begun hearing about the Alliance soldier named Shepard, he'd known it was Hannah, and his, daughter. He'd followed her career, even stepped in a time or two to help her. When Akuze, Saren, Sovereign… he'd been so proud, though he had no right to be. Then when he'd gotten word that she'd been killed, he'd gotten drunk for two weeks, mourning his little girl the only way he knew how. He'd sent Hannah a message, but never gave her a way to get back in touch with him. He'd just wanted her to know that he mourned their child with her.

Then word had started moving through the Merc world that Cerberus was looking for someone to take a high paying contract to assist with a mission; a suicide mission. He dismissed the idea, until he heard the name Lia Shepard as the leader. Shocked, he'd used his contacts to discover that Cerberus had brought his daughter back to life, and he'd gotten his contacts to set up a meeting. He couldn't help but think that the Illusive Man figured something else was up; but he did hire Zaeed.

He'd used his vendetta against Vido as a cover to explain why he wanted this contract, and when Shepard asked, he'd told her the money was the reason, as well as the agreement to take down Vido. When Shepard had helped him do that, he'd been so happy. Of course, it was working with his daughter, even if she had no idea of that fact, that made him the happiest. He was ready to die on the collector base; anything to protect his baby girl, one of the few times in her life that he'd been able to do so. When he'd come back alive, along with the rest of the crew, he'd been determined to stick with Shepard. Being near his child, even if she didn't know the relationship, was the only payment he cared about.

Zaeed sighed, Lia noticing the resemblance, and pointing it out might prove to be an issue. He'd seen the considering look on the turian's face and he figured that he'd be receiving a visit from Garrus before long. He pulled the picture of Hannah and himself out his pocket and gazed down at it. The resemblance between Shepard and her mum was considerable; but he knew that if you looked for it, the resemblance between he and Shepard was there too. He hesitated, then put the picture on the table, using Jessie to hold the edge down. He knew that Garrus would see it, and hell, maybe it was time the truth came out.

_**MED BAY**_

Garrus watched his mate sleep, his hand still idly stroking her hair. Urz lay stretched out on the bed, Lia's hand resting on his head. Garrus used his free hand to pick up Lia's free hand and brought it to his face, nuzzling it. He started as he felt a hand on his shoulder, and looked up to see Dr. Chakwas standing beside him. She smiled at him, and he noted how tired she looked, dark circles under her eyes and a tired cast to her face. "Garrus, I think that perhaps we should take the Co… Tal-Lia to your quarters. I'm thinking that the familiar surroundings will help her memory recover faster."

Garrus nodded, glancing at his mate, "I was thinking the same thing, doctor… you said that familiarity might help cue up memories, like it did out in the mess. Does she need the IV?"

Chakwas shook her head, "No… I'll take it out and you take her and Urz to your quarters. If you need me…"

Garrus stood, as Chakwas moved to remove the IV, he reached out to wrap his arm around the doctor's wrist, and she looked up at him surprised, "You need to get some sleep, doctor… I'm serious here, you look like you're ready to drop and you're too important to this ship and this crew for that to happen. I'll take Lia to our nest, and you get some sleep; research can wait, all right?"

Chakwas patted his hand, and then moved to take the IV out as Garrus released her. She sighed, damn she was tired; and she knew that a tired doctor was a doctor who made mistakes. And a doctor who made mistakes ended up with corpses as patients. She nodded, "All right, Garrus… take Lia to your quarters and I'll get some rest…."

Garrus gave her a narrowed eye, powerful look as he said, letting her see the twinkle in his eyes, "I'm going to have Edi check on you, doctor… and if you're NOT sleeping, I'll send Urz here down to sit on you to make you sleep, clear?"

Chakwas chuckled, and nodded. She wasn't sure if he was serious or not, but just in case, she decided to go to bed as soon as the Commander was on her way.

_**THE NEST**_

Garrus settled Shepard; she hadn't stirred at all on the trip up there. He had stripped her clothes off and gotten her in the nest, covering her before going to take a shower. He was terrified she'd wake up and find him missing, but he really needed a shower before he slid in next to his mate in their clean nest.

Coming back into the room, he checked on his mate, finding her still asleep. He wanted to go speak to Zaeed, but leaving his mate alone wasn't going to happen. Suddenly, the door chimed and with a frown, he hurried to open the door, finding Liara outside. "Liara? Is there something wrong?" He thought that Liara looked a little nervous, but it was hard for him to tell.

"Garrus… I… that is, I was wondering… I wanted to tell you that if you need to do anything, or, you know, calibrate the guns or something, I'm more than happy to sit with Sh… Tal-Lia for a while."

Cocking his head, Garrus watched her, then said, "I did actually need to go speak with someone… are you sure you're okay with this?"

Liara nodded, a bit too vehemently, and said, "Yes, I'm sure. Go do what you need to do, I'll stay with her… if she wakes, I'll call you…."

Garrus nodded; glad he'd re-dressed after his shower, and said, "Ok… I'll only be a little while…."

Liara frowned, "Take your time, Garrus… I promise, I'll call if anything changes." He made his way to the elevator as Liara disappeared inside the quarters.

The Asari made her way to the nest, gazing down at her friend, her expression mournful. She glanced over at the Varren and sighed, she hoped he wasn't going to be a problem. She'd hate to have to use her biotics to take out Shepard's pet, but this was too important. She reached a hand out, touching Shepard's forehead, hating what she was about to do, but determined that this was the only way. She whispered, "Goddess Shepard… I'm sorry. I wish… I wish you'd just recover so that I didn't need to do this. But you're not getting better… your cybernetics and the nannites that Cerberus used on you should have fixed any damage by now."

Liara raised a piece of equipment she'd carried in her pocket and scanned Shepard; Urz raised his head, sniffing. The blue one was his mistress's friend, but there was something off about her scent. She was, sad and angry and desperate, and that smelled odd. Liara scanned Shepard, gazed at the results and said, "No changes… your brain is fine, Shepard… but you're hiding in there and you can't… they're almost to Thessia and you have to get there… there is too much good that would be lost, and we can't afford to lose it. Forgive me, Goddess please, forgive me…."

She brought another piece of equipment out of her pocket and placed it on Shepard's temple, glancing at the Varren, she turned it on and watched as Shepard tensed, going still and rigid.

_**THE LOVER AND THE MERC**_

Garrus raised a hand as he reached Zaeed's quarters and knocked, then waited. "Come in then, Birdman… I knew you be commin…."

Garrus walked in and paused, Zaeed was sitting on his cot, holding a flask that he'd obviously been drinking from, and had a cigar clenched in his teeth. Garrus looked at Zaeed, trying to figure out what to say, when the old merc surprised him, "You might as well just ask, it's bloody obvious that you done figured out what the ga'dam sit rep is."

Garrus looked around, seeing the old rifle on the table. Jessie, as the old merc called it, was really a piece of work and Garrus observed it, trying to find a way to say what he was thinking. Then his eyes fell on a picture, and he hesitated, glancing back at Zaeed, who shrugged and took another swig of his flask. Idly Garrus wondered how the man could drink with the cigar in his teeth.

Garrus picked up the photo, and started. At first, he thought it was a picture of his mate, then he noticed that the female was younger, but had a different forehead, different eye shape. At the same time, he noticed the man in the picture was a much younger version of Zaeed. He'd seen pictures of Shepard's mother, not many, but enough to recognize her in the photo. His mind snapped to the correct conclusion, putting all the pieces together.

"You _are_ her father."

Zaeed nodded, standing up and walking to the table, reaching out to take the picture from Garrus' hand. "Ya… I am. An she aint never gonna know."

Garrus started then stared at Zaeed, trying to find the words. The old Merc turned, looking at the garbage recycling center as he said, "I met Hannah when we were both young and dumb. I fell for her, hard… and she got pregnant. Long story short, Hannah was married and she was scared as hell that the basterd would hurt her or the baby if he found out. She begged me to let her go… and I did. I tried over the years to keep up on what she did… she ga'dam saved the galaxy… in spite of everything, I was so ga'dam proud of her. The she died… and I crawled in a bottle for a long time. By the time I crawled out, Cerberus was lookin fer a merc for a suicide mission and she was alive and in charge. You better ga'dam believe I took the contract."

Garrus shook his head, "She's never been close to her father… to the man she thinks is her father. She told me once he was a cold man who didn't give a crap about her until she got famous. Maybe you should…."

"No."

It was so close to what Shepard had done so many times, that Garrus chuckled. He said, "I see where she gets it… but why?"

"Because she's got enough on her plate, birdman… she don't need to know nothin bout her mum that aint positive… and she certainly don't need to find out some ga'dam broken down merc is her dad. Jus' let it go, Garrus. Please. It's for the best."

Garrus considered arguing, but looking at Zaeed's face he knew that there was not going to be any changing his mind. Widening his mandible, he nodded; now that he knew he could see a lot of Zaeed in his mate…. Turning, Garrus headed for the door, stopping to say, "Fine… but just think about this, ok? She can use all the love and support she can get… and having a father to support her might take some of the pressure off her…. Have a good night, Zaeed."

Garrus headed back to his nest, sighing. He didn't know what to do about this situation; but he did know that the first thing he needed to do was concentrate on his mate's condition. He rode the elevator up to the loft, his thoughts running through his head, chasing themelves through his head.

As the elevator doors opened, he heard sounds that made his gizzard clench and his breath catch. The sound of Urz vocalizing in fury and in pain, and his mate keening.

_**INSIDE SHEPARD'S HEAD**_

Shepard was afraid, she was in a forest, but it was ghostly, haunted… the trees looked stunted, half dead, like the nightmares made solid. She heard voices, familiar and unfamiliar, murmuring to her, not loud enough to hear, but so close to her. She felt the pain in her head again, if felt like her head was going to explode. She saw the little boy from Earth and she followed him, but when he burst into flame, she stumbled backward and hit someone, turning she saw a Salarian. He, Mordin… he put his hands on her shoulders, looking into her eyes, he said, clearly, "Must wake now, Shepard… much to do… damage will heal when necessary… do not push, do not panic… but wake up now…."

But she couldn't, her body felt as though she were on fire, being tortured. It was worse than the Thresher Maw, her body on fire, burning and melting, writhing with pain as her head felt like an explosion waiting to happen. She heard familiar sounds; Urz was mad… she hated to hear him keen like that… and was that Garrus? He was beyond furious… what…?

_**BETRAYAL AND JUSTIFICATION**_

Garrus sprinted from the elevator, nearly hitting the door as he tried to get past it. Just inside the door he paused, Liara stood next to the nest, Urz was being held back by a biotic field and in their nest, his mate was keening, arched off the nest, her teeth clenched and her head jerking from side to side. "LIARA! What in the hell are you doing?"

Liara swung her eyes to Garrus and he saw the tracks of tears flowing down her face, her eyes were filled with pain, self-hatred and determination as she said, "Garrus… I'm sorry, but this is necessary… we can't just wait for Shepard to come around… we have to get her back working, or Thessia will fall…."

Garrus was furious; he snarled as he said, throwing himself at the barrier with all his strength"Take the shield down, Liara… NOW." But Liara shook her head,

"No, not yet… I have to finish this…. I'm sorry, this is the only way…."

Fury radiated through him, his mate was being hurt and this woman who he'd considered a friend, someone he trusted, was doing it. "EDI, send everyone, the entire team here." And he threw himself at Liara again, hitting the barrier and trying to get past it.

Thane and Jack threw themselves into the elevator and found Zaeed already there, armed and ready. As the elevator opened to the loft, all of them took in the sight, figured it out and then moved to where they could help the most.

Garrus was nearly howling with fury as he fought to get past the biotic barrier, and Urz worked just as furiously from the other side. Zaeed glanced at the nest and found Shepard having some sort of seizure. Jack threw a biotic slam at the asari, which knocked her back and allowed Urz to get a step or two closer to his mistress. Thane moved to the side, using the shadows to get as close as he could.

The elevator door opened a second time and Chakwas shouted, "Liara! This won't do anything but kill her!" Zaeed spared the doctor a glance and found that Edi was standing directly in front of the doctor. Zaeed took advantage of the distraction of the asari and raised Jesse, aiming carefully as Edi said, "Garrus has said non-lethal force only…."

Zaeed squeezed the trigger and a bullet flew out and struck Liara in the shoulder, knocking her to the left. Her barrier went down, and then came back up, but not before Urz had managed to get inside it as Garrus pushed forward and Jack used another biotic slam that allowed Thane to move closer to her, using his stealth to get close enough to distract the asari. Between the two of them, they allowed Zaeed to fire off one more bullet. This one hit the asari directly in her knee, dropping her and as her barrier went down, Urz dove at her, grabbing her by the throat and rode her to the ground. Garrus rushed forward reaching for his mate as Liara yelled, "NO! LEAVE IT FOR A FEW MORE MINUTES! GARRUS!" Garrus reached in and used his talon to pull the small, round, glowing device off his mate's temple, throwing it to the side as Jack use a left hook to knock Liara out.

Chakwas rushed in, as Garrus grabbed Shepard and pulled her out of the nest and dropped to the ground, supporting her as Chakwas dropped down next to her, using her Omni tool to scan her. Garrus snapped, "Urz, drop her!"

Urz did so, backing off, crouching and growling as Chakwas cursed under her breath, "Dammit, I need to get her to the med bay…" Garrus swept Shepard up in his arms and strode for the door,

"Secure her… but don't kill her. I'm going to get her to the med-bay… and Edi, get that damn device and check her to make sure she'd not hiding anything else."

Thane held the door to the elevator open, and as Garrus entered the elevator carrying Shepard, followed by Chakwas, he slammed the door closed button praying it would hurry; and that Siha would not be damaged any more by her friend's actions.

_**MED-BAY AGAIN**_

Shepard lay on the table, and Garrus stood near her as the doctor worked the machine. Liara lay nearby on another table, weeping and being guarded by Jack and Zaeed, with Urz sitting ready to destroy the threat to his mistress.

Chakwas stood up, glancing at Garrus and said, "There is some damage, but nothing as major as it would have been if that bloody thing had been on any longer." Garrus leaned over his mate, pressing his lip plates on her forehead, completely ignoring the asari who cried,

"It had to work… it just had to! How long until she wakes?"

Chakwas moved to stand next to the asari, her lips held tight in an angry scowl. She began to work on her, cleaning the wounds and checking for infection or other problems. Liara had a bullet wound in her shoulder, her knee was shattered, and she had bite marks on her throat. Chakwas reached for the annestisia, preparing to put Liara under when Shepard gasped and sat up. Liara pushed the doctor away and stared at Shepard, "SHEPARD! Do you remember?"

Shepard shook her head, the dream still bothering her, her body felt exhausted. She looked at the asari on the next table, frowning as she said, leaning into her mate, "Li… Liara, right? I'm sorry… what am I supposed to remember?"

"NOOOOOOOOO!" Liara began to fight, and Chakwas gave her a shot, which made her collapse, but she still muttered to herself as she passed out.

_**THE CITADEL**_

Edi was keeping track of all the Shadow Broker's information, agents and information, because Liara was being kept in the Med-Bay under guard. No one was sure what to do with her; letting her go was not possible, but keeping her was dangerous. Her reasoning behind what she did was solid, in some respects, but she could have killed Lia and none of them could forgive her for that; least of all Garrus. Thane helped Edi in the room Liara had set up in, between the two of them, they managed to keep the Shadow Broker's information flowing.

They had to land on the Citadel, and after meeting with everyone, it was decided that keeping Shepard's situation quiet was their best bet. People didn't need to lose more hope right now; they needed all they could get. So, as they requested landing privileges, Shepard stood next to Garrus and Thane behind Joker. She wore her armor, but she was obviously not comfortable. She glanced up at her mate and asked, "Are you sure this is necessary?"

Garrus reached out to touch her, nodding, "Yeah, amica… it is. Just… stay with me and everything will be okay."

Joker frowned, "This isn't right… something's wrong…."

"There is an incoming call… shall I put it through here?"

Garrus nodded, "Yeah, Edi… put it through…."

To everyone's surprise, Bailey's voice came over the com, "Thank god you're here… Shepard, the Citadel has been attacked by Cerberus… C-Sec is compromised and if we can't get control of that we'll lose the Citadel…."

Garrus began to respond, but to his surprise, Shepard stepped forward, "Bailey… where are you?"

"In one of the wards… I'm trying to make my way back to C-Sec headquarters… but they're everywhere… and I've lost contact with the Council."

"Are you wounded?"

"Just a flesh wound… my leg, but I can still move…."

"Ok, we'll take care of this, Bailey… stay out of site and try to make your way to C-Sec. Shepard out…."

Shepard pulled her Mattock out and said, "Joker, find us a way in… Garrus, get the team up here now…."

And just like that, Shepard was back… and they were following her once more into hell… or some suburb of it.


	47. Scene 43

"Three on one… it's over…."

The oriental assassin gave a smile that held no humor, "No… now it's fun." As he raise his hand, his weapon ready, Thane appeared behind him, gun pointed at his head. The younger man turned and he and Thane entered into hand to hand combat, giving Shepard time to have Garrus and Zaeed get the Salarian ambassador behind them. Shepard stayed in the room, Garrus on her six and watched the battle between the two well-trained assassins. Thane used his gun and the oriental assassin used his sword; Thane had biotics, but the oriental had a cloak. Hand to hand, they were both near evenly matched. They ran at each other and Cerberus Assassin dropped low, running Thane through with his sword.

She couldn't help herself, Shepard screamed, "NO! THANE!" Before she took off running after the fleeing man, nearly catching him when he jumped off the building and landed on a hover car. Shepard got a few shots off, and was surprised to see Thane appear behind him, also firing. Garrus thundered up as Shepard threw herself down next to the Drell and said, desperately, "How bad is it?"

Thane squeezed her hand, "I have time, Siha… go after him…." Joined by Garrus, she told Bailey that Thane needed medical attention stat, and he told her where the rest of the council was. She told Bailey about Udina and entered the hover car, surprised when Thane joined them. "I am capable, Siha… we must hurry." Shrugging, she accepted it; having Thane and Garrus on her team made her feel a lot better about her chances.

After leading them on a merry chase, including climbing up through elevator shafts and riding on top of elevators, they finally reached the top floor, ahead of Cerberus. A glance at Thane showed her how strained he was, and how much blood he was losing, but she forced her concentration back on the situation at hand. To her surprise, Kaiden was there, escorting the council, including Udina.

Kaiden hesitated, his distrust of Shepard and his trust in the "trustworthy council" led to a standoff. Udina tried to say that Shepard was trying to block their escape, but Kaiden, as usual tried to calm the situation. He pointed out it was difficult to trust her when she had a gun drawn on the Council. Shepard put her gun away and her people followed suit; Thane leaned against the door, and Garrus checked on him, as Shepard told the council that Udina had planned the entire thing. After a hesitation, Kaiden put his gun away as Udina went to try and override the elevator doors. The asari councilor pointed out they'd mistrusted Shepard before, but everything she'd said had come to pass.

Everything else happened too fast, the Asari Ambassador tried to stop Udina, but he pulled a gun on her, shoving her to the ground. As the Turian Ambassador went to help her, Udina tried to open the door, and Shepard shot him. The elevator door opened and they prepared to fight, but it was Bailey and several C-Sec officers. They said that the Cerberus assassin and his support had fled; then Shepard saw Thane, just as he collapsed down the wall. "THANE!" Shepard sprinted to his side, catching his head before it hit the ground. She cradled him to her, calling "WE NEED MEDICAL ATTENTION!"

Thane's voice was soft, as usual, but there was a weakness there that she'd never heard. She called again for a medic, as Garrus crouched beside Thane, pressing his hands to the wound, trying to stop the flow of blood. Cradling Thane to her breast, she stroked his forehead and said, "Hold on, Thane… we'll get you to the hospital… just hold on…."

Thane shook his head, "Be calm, Siha… if it is my time to cross the sea, then so be it… I am ready to face that."

But Shepard was having none of it, snapping, "NO, damn it, Thane… I didn't have Mordin find a cure for Keprels just to lose you here…."

Thane coughed, covering his mouth with is hand, and Shepard was terrified to see a misting of blood on his hand, "Siha… there will be losses in this war… you know this…."

Shepard shook her head, her eyes flitting to Garrus as she said, "Yeah, I know… but not you… not now, not ever. You're going to make it, Thane… damn it, you HAVE to make it… you don't stop fighting, you hear me? You die on me, and I'll find a way to bring you back to kick your ass!"

Thane smiled despite the darkness descending on him and the weakness in his limbs, "I believe you, Siha…."

"You damn bet I will… so hold the fuck on! You're too special to lose, Thane… and I won't do it, I won't lose you…" Thane glanced at Garrus, but found no jealousy, not hatred; only a pain he knew came from feeling his mate's, and a determination that rivaled Shepard's.

"Damn it, Thane… you promised me you'd see this through!"

Thane coughed again, his voice weakened further as he chuckled, a painful, gravely sound, "Siha… I fear I may not be able to keep that oath…."

Tears poured down Shepard's cheeks, and she said, her voice softening, "No, you will make it, Thane… damn it, I won't lose you… and if you die, so help me, I'll find a way to bring you back… I give you MY Oath on that. No matter who I have to deal with… or what I have to give."

That thrilled him, and terrified him; "Siha, you must not…."

"Then don't die… because once I give my oath, you know I will always follow through. You hang on, Thane… because I need you with me." His vision was fading, and he could feel the pull of the sea, but her words meant more to her than she would ever realize, and he told her that,

"That… means much to me, Siha… I'm sor…." He lost consciousness then and Shepard screamed at him, until the paramedic who, she was shocked to noticed, had been working on Thane, along with his partner, said,

"He's alive, Commander… but we've got to get him to the hospital… he needs surgery…." Shepard nodded and moved beside Thane as they loaded him into the ambulance. Hesitating, she glanced at Garrus, finding his eyes shining with his love for her, and his support. He said,

"Go with him, Shepard… the rest of us will take care of the council…." Not hesitating anymore, Shepard climbed into the hover-ambulance, taking Thane's hand and continuing to order and beg him to hold on for the short ride to the hospital. Thane went into cardiac arrest just as they reached the hospital and she clutched his hand, begging him to live. Her tears falling unchecked, she only stopped when the nurses physically stopped her from going with Thane on his way to surgery, as the paramedic worked on Thane, astride him on the gurney.

One of the nurses came to her and patted her shoulder kindly, then said, "We have one other drell still reachable; he's giving blood now."

Shepard turned her full attention on the nurse and said, "Tell me what you need… I'll find it… no matter what it is…."

The nurse sighed, "We have some drell blood… and with the donation and the blood we've synthesized, we should be able to get him through surgery. But you need to brace yourself, the damage seems to be extensive." Shepard buried her face in her hands, her voice caught on a sob,

"He is a member of my team, Nurse… he has to make it…." The nurse didn't mention that Shepard's reaction was far above what would be normal for a typical Commander/Subordinate relationship. Instead, she showed Shepard to a seat and got her a cup of coffee, before promising to keep her updated on Thane's progress. Shepard sat for a moment, then stood and began to pace. She was still pacing a while later when Garrus joined her. She took one look at her mate and threw herself into his arms, letting him stroke her head and murmur into her ear. What he said was of no consequence; it was his presence that reassured her.

It wasn't long before they were joined by most of the Normandy's crew, past and present. To her immense surprise, Kelly Chambers, now going by a different name, came out from the back and said, "Shepard… I just checked on Thane… he's going to be in surgery for several hours. I'll keep you updated; he's in the best of hands. The top Xeno-Surgeon in the galaxy is operating on him."

Shepard thanked her, and told her she was thrilled that Kelly was safe and sound. The crew sat in the waiting room, and Shepard glanced around, frowning, "Where is Liara?" After she'd come too from the Asari's "help", Garrus had told her what had happened. There was a hesitation, before Joker said,

"We brought her with us… I know she screwed up, Shepard… and I know that Garrus wants to kill her… shit, I'd like to kill her. But we really don't have a brig, and we can't keep the… errr… you-know-what a prisoner."

Garrus growled, but Chakwas spoke up, "Commander… she made a mistake; but she is very young, and very desperate. While I don't trust her, I think we have to give her a chance to redeem herself…."

Sighing, Shepard said, "Yeah… hell, maybe what she did is the reason…."

Chakwas interrupted her, "No… your memories came back because they were triggered by the attack on the Citadel… and your need to set things right." Shepard shrugged, despite Garrus growling and said,

"Fine… Edi, keep a careful eye on her. The first sign of anything unacceptable, you let me know…."

Garrus growled, "And I'll space her…."

Shepard glanced at Garrus with a half-smile, "No, you won't, Garrus… she's important. We need her help." Garrus growled, but nodded; he knew she was right, but he didn't have to like it.

_**CHAPTER BREAK**_

"Commander?" Shepard looked up to see Edi standing next to her.

"Yes, Edi? More questions?"

The mech shook her head, "No, Commander, not at this point. However, I must tell you that we have received a distress call…."

"We're not leaving the Citadel, Edi…." Shepard's voice was firm, and Edi nodded,

"Very well… however, I believe that there are many things we could do here on the Citadel that would fill our time, rather than waiting here for news. They have said it will be some time before we have news. Many of the items we have collected will be useful to someone on the Citadel… if we can encourage positive thinking and cross species cooperation, we will benefit in the end."

After arguments back and forth, Shepard finally, with irritation, agreed to run some errands on the Citadel while they waited for news. Kelly swore she'd contact her at the first sign of information, so Shepard gave in and they left the hospital, moving into the Citadel to do what they could.

_**CHAPTER BREAK**_

Before leaving the hospital, the group delivered new chemical treatments to a salarian doctor named Silon, and then some Biotic Amp interfaces to an asari. They found a doctor who needed the prototypes for biotic amplifiers that could be modified for the asari and a researcher that welcomed the counter agents for a poison that killed turians and finally they delivered a formula for an alien medigel that a doctor was interested in.

They delivered a note to a young asari named Ereba, who they had met during their preparation for the Collector mission on Illium. Shepard had been instrumental in having her accept a poetic young krogan named Char as her mate. They'd found Char's body in Rachni space when they were rescuing Grunt and his company. On the body they found a letter address to "my blue rose of Illium". Delivering the letter, Shepard listened to the broken hearted young woman as she told her how much she'd loved Char… and how glad she was that she'd given their love a chance. Before they parted, Ereba told Shepard she was expecting a child… that even in the middle of death, life had found a way to grow.

After leaving the young widow, they delivered several artifacts to various people in the Courtyard area, including a prothean language translation artifact to a researcher, Heating Unit Stabilizers to a salarian, and an artifact known as the Book of Plenix to a Volus. In addition, Shepard ran into an old friend, General Oraka. Zaeed grimaced and told Shepard that the General was trying to "relive his ga'damn glory days" and causing problems for the Blue Suns. In order to convince the General to leave the Blue Suns alone, it was necessary to give some artifacts to a salarian arms dealer, Kannik, who then agreed to allow General Oraka to purchase top of the line weapons for C-Sec.

Taking a break at the Apollo café, they ran into Liara, and despite her own hesitation, and Garrus irritation, Shepard sat down to talk to her.

"I'm so sorry, Shepard… I just… I had to do something. We need you… and I know it's so difficult, that there is so much pressure on you… but the longer you remained… _that way_… the less chance we have of saving Thessia and the rest of the worlds." Liara's face was tortured, her eyes swollen from her weeping and her normally immaculate uniform wrinkled and dirty. She used a cane to help take the weight off her injured knee as it healed and her arm was in a sling. Shepard watched her for long moments, seeing the beautiful asari's lips tremble as she sat across from Shepard, not looking her in the eye. Finally, in spite of Garrus irritated huff, Shepard reached out to cover Liara's hand, which made the asari look up at her.

Their eyes met and Shepard said, "I understand why chose to do what you did; but it hurts, Liara. I thought we were friends… that I could trust you, and now… well, now I'm not sure if I can." Liara's lips trembled worse and two tears overflowed her eyes and slid down her cheeks, as Shepard continued, "But we have to get past this, Liara… we have to defeat the Reapers, and to do that, we have to put aside our personal mistrusts and work together. So I'm going to forgive you and move on…"

Liara's eyes brightened, but before she could speak, Shepard tightened her hand on Liara's, almost to a painful level as she stared into Liara's eyes and said, her voice low and threatening, "But if you ever put my crew or my mission in jeopardy again, I will destroy you. Trust me when I tell you that even though I care about you, if you put this mission or my crew in danger, nothing will save you; not tears, or trembling lips… or friendship. Do we understand each other?"

Liara nodded, "Yes, Shepard… I… understand. I just want to move past this… I want to prove myself to you, prove you can trust me…."

Shepard let go of Liara's hand and leaned back, nodding. Glancing around, she said in a more normal voice, "Why is that asari behind the bar watching us, Liara? Do you know her?"

Liara looked discomfited, but said, sighing, "I don't actually know her… but…."

Shepard raised her eyebrow, "But?"

Liara took a deep breath and let it out as she said, softly, "She's my "father," Shepard…."

Looking shocked, Shepard sat back up and said, "Oh… wow, Liara… have you talked to… her?" Liara shook her head,

"No… she let my mother take me when I was an infant… I've lived my entire life without my father… I don't believe I need to change that now…." Shepard didn't see Zaeed straighten up, nor the look that Garrus shot the old Merc. Frowning, Shepard said,

"You should go talk to her, Liara…."

"I don't know, Shepard… it's been a long time…."

"It doesn't matter, Liara… she's your father. The way this galaxy is now, any relationships we can salvage is important; even if it just reminds us of why we're doing this. I'm sure she had good reasons for letting your mother take you away… and I'm sure she loves you. My father isn't a very… warm… man. He never really cared about me or my mom… except that we were his. He was very possessive of what he thought was his. I always wished that I had a dad that loved me… that was proud of me and gave a crap about me as a person; not the hero of the Galaxy, but Lia Shepard…." Shepard chuckled dryly, "Shoot, when I was little, I used to pretend that my father wasn't my real father… that my real father was going to rush in and save me." Shepard shrugged, looking a little embarrassed, "Anyway… that's not going to happen. But you have a chance here, don't waste it…."

Liara looked down at her hands, hesitated, then said, "Ok... you're right, Shepard! I should just go talk to her. At least I can ask a few questions... get a few answers before we fly off into hell…." Liara forced a dry smile and rose to her feet, "Thank you, Shepard… for everything…." She turned and headed to the bar where the Asari Matriarch stood, leaving her crewmates standing behind her. Garrus looked at Zaeed, and found his look returned. Zaeed shook his head, narrowing his eyes at Garrus, who gave him a turian grin and shrugged as Shepard rose and said, oblivious to the interplay between the two, said,

"Ok… back to the grind…." As they passed Liara talking to her father, Shepard over-heard the older asari tell Liara that she was half krogran, which made Liara a quarter krogan; and that if Liara felt the need to "Headbutt anything… it's genetic."

Garrus snorted, "I can't wait to tell Wrex…." Shepard shook her head and moved on, trying to get through the crowd as Liara's father said,  
>"I've seen the way you look at Shepard… I'm surprised your panties haven't caught on fire…."<p>

Blushing bright red, Shepard hurried past, literally shoving people out of her way, there was NO WAY she was going to listen to anymore…. When her crew caught up to her at the elevator, she glanced at them, then snarled, "NOT a fucking word… or I'll space the lot of you…." Shepard stared straight ahead at the elevator, trying desperately to ignore the cough covered chuckles and smirks on her crew's faces. She made the mistake of glancing at Garrus, and found him watching her, a very strange look in his eyes.

They took the elevator down to the lower docks which had been set up as a temporary receiving station for refugees. As Garrus went to check with some of the turian refugees, Shepard delivered an artifact known as the Pillars of Strength to a batarian priest; then she moved to the sickbed of a batarian terrorist. A brief conversation and Shepard, showing the compassion that helped make her who she was, removed his life support, allowing him to go to his final judgment.

As they were heading back to the elevator, she ran into Steve Cortez, sitting in the room that housed the "Memorial Wall," an informal place where people put up pictures and mementoes of their loved ones. Steve was leaving a recording of his husband saying goodbye. As Shepard talked to him, he told her that while he'd always love his deceased husband, he had to move on… and this time, he was truly going to.

Taking the elevators to the Embassies, Shepard left her crew members for a short period to check out the computers in the Spectre offices. There she ran into a Spectre and STG member named Jondum Bau. The salarian was chasing down rumors of indoctrinated hanar and after a merry chase, they managed to find the hanar who began to spread a virus in the hanar home world computers that would basically give them over to the reapers. His reasoning was that they worshiped the Enkindlers, or the protheans and the protheans served the reapers… the hanar should serve the reapers. Together, she and Garrus managed with stop the transmission of the virus, but they were forced to kill the hanar. Once they were finished, Jondum promised that when it came time, he would meet up with her to help… and he'd be bringing friends. Before leaving the Embassies, they dropped off a collection of Cerberus cyphers to a turian officer named Dellk in the Embassies.

Before they could make their way back to the hospital, though they'd not received any messages, Shepard was notified that Aria was on the Citadel at Purgatory and was "requesting" her presence. While heading for that meeting, they delivered plans to improve power grids to a researcher near the main doors and the Banner of the First Regiment to a group of turians in the nightclub.

Walking down to where Aria was holding court, Shepard watched as a C-Sec officer tried to get Aria to come to the main offices to clear up an immigration problem. Instead, Aria called the asari ambassador, who fixed the situation and asked if there was anything else that she needed. Garrus muttered softly enough that Shepard was sure only she heard him, "Well… now I see our problem… if we were to get Aria to speak for us, the Council would have listened three years ago…." Shepard chuckled at Garrus' irritated expression, but moved to sit on the couch near Aria as the aggravated C-Sec officer left.

"Hello Aria… fancy meeting you here."

The Queen of Omega smirked at Shepard, but she was well aware that the powerful Asari was just this side of furious. Aria informed Shepard that she hated the Citadel, but the Illusive Man had stolen Omega from her… and was now at the top of her shit list. After a few more moments of talking, Aria offered Shepard something that could be invaluable… the Blood Pack and Eclipse for her fight with the Reapers. Shepard was not going to look a gift horse in the mouth, but she knew there had to be strings.

At first, Aria simply said that the Reapers were a danger to her as well as everyone else… and Shepard was the best bed to defeat them. However, Shepard did discover that she was right, there were strings. She would have to jump few a couple of hoops and the real reason that Aria was doing this was to get the mercs firmly under her control. The Mercs would be independent, but answerable to Aria. Aria offered Zaeed a private meeting about his Blue Suns, but the Old Merc told her that he had better things to do, and the Suns would remain independent… truly independent.

Deciding to do what she had to do to get those merc, she headed off to the Presidium Apartments, leaving her crew on the Commons, much to Garrus disgust. She met with Narl, Aria's henchman, who told her to get her hands behind her back. He pretended to give her to the Vorcha leader of the Blood Pack, Jreete… but having given Shepard a gun behind her back, they took out Jreete, and Narl explained that Aria's deal was with the Blood Pack's second, Gryll.

That deal struck, Shepard headed out to meet with Bailey to get the Eclipse leader Jona Sederis out of jail. After speaking with Jona, however, she had to agree with Bailey that the asari was insane and dangerous; too dangerous to allow out of prison. Instead, she did something similar to what had happened with the Blood Pack and met with Jona's second, Sayn, a salarian. After a bit of coaching, Sayn agreed to leave his former commander in jail and lead the Eclipse himself. The fact that very shortly after that meeting, Jona Sederis was murdered in her very secure prison cell was simply an unintended bonus.

Aria was pleased with the results of Shepard's work and promised that when the time came, the Eclipse and Blood Pack, with all their accumulated efforts, would be made available to Shepard. Pleased with herself and the afternoon of work, Shepard was just about to suggest they return to the hospital when her onmi tool buzzed. It was Kelly, and she looked concerned,

"Commander… I think you should get back to the hospital… fast. Thane is…. hurry Commander!"

Without waiting for her team, Shepard turned and nearly ran to the elevator, entering as her team slid in beside her. Fear clutched at her heart, and not even her mate's soothing hand on her shoulder helped quell the fear that rose up in her as the elevator moved slowly to its destination.


	48. Scene 44

_Thanks to Marie Fan-Writer for being my beta! Thanks to Bioware for an awesome universe, great characters and such a shitty ending that I had to write my own._

_**Begin**_

Shepard hurried into the surgical ward of the hospital followed by her team. Kelly, rather Nurse Felicia Hannigan, was standing by the door to the surgical ward, next to a drell. It took a moment for Shepard to recognized him as Thane's son, Koylat. As Shepard walked up to them, Kolyat turned to her and said, "Commander Shepard… I do not know if you remember me…."

Shepard nodded, "You're Kolyat Krios… Thane's son. I do remember you…."

Kolyat looked a bit uncomfortable and he didn't offer his hand, instead he held both his hands behind his back in a pose reminiscent of Thane; probably unconsciously. He said, "My father is in recovery… and is asking to see you, Commander…."

Shepard felt a surge of relief, nodding as she asked, "He's ok, then?" She noticed the looked that passed between Kolyat and Kelly, but said nothing as the young drell replied,

"He is alive, but he is not in good shape. Despite receiving the cure for Keprels, his lungs were damaged through the years. The doctors are guardedly optimistic, but it is hardly a sure thing."

"DAMMIT… I thought between the treatment on Da'La and Mordin's cure, the damage was fixed…."

Kolyat shook his head, "No, the disease has been cured, a fact that millions of drell are incredibly thankful for, and much of the previous damage was alleviated. However, not all the damage could be cured. That damage has weakened his immune system and compromised his body's ability to transfer oxygen. When he is not wounded, other parts of his system are able to compensate; but when he is as badly injured as he is now, it creates… difficulties."

Shepard sighed, and not for the first time, she wished that Mordin was still alive…. She looked up at Kolyat and nodded, "You said he wanted to see me?"

Kolyat regarded her and his obsidian eyes seemed to be disappointed; as though he expected her to understand something she obviously didn't. But he nodded, "Please come with me…."

Gesturing for her team, including her mate, to stay in the sitting room, she followed Kolyat back into the hospital. He turned after a few feet toward a small room and she entered with him. When the automatic lights came on, she realized she was in a closet, and her hand went automatically for her weapon, turning to see Kolyat shut the door. He hesitated, seeing her gun, then held both his hands up, angling his chin up to expose his throat. It was, Shepard knew from Thane, a gesture of both trust and an offer of peaceful intentions. She lowered the gun, but didn't put it away as Kolyat explained, "Please, Commander… I only wished to speak with you for a moment before I take you to my father." Thane's voice was always a little gravelly, peaceful and soft. Kolyat's voice, however, was higher pitched and smoother.

Her face was calm, peaceful even, but her eyes were cold as she said, "Fine… speak then, Kolyat… but don't make any sudden moves. I don't want to have to explain to Thane why I had to shoot his son…."

Kolyat nodded and moved to the side, after a glance at Shepard, to sit on a crate. He was silent a long moment, then when he spoke, his voice was quiet. "I want to ask… no, I wish to beg you for a boon, Commander." Shepard blinked, that hadn't been what she was expecting, but she nodded slightly, telling him silently to keep talking. "As you know things between my father and I have not always been… good. For many years, he and I were estranged; for reasons you are well aware. However, when my father came back to the Citadel after your mission, he and I began to build a relationship.

"For a while, I hated you for your part in find a cure for Keprels… part of me felt that he deserved to die for his actions; for leaving me. Why, I asked myself, should my mother, a kind and gentle woman who loved unconditionally, be dead and my father live? In my eyes, my father was a cold, uncaring, irresponsible man with no positive emotions at all. Why should he be saved and not my mother? But as I built a relationship with him, as I learned to forgive him for his actions and began to understand the type of man he was, I saw things differently." Kolyat paused, his eyes seemed to be unfocused and Shepard recognized it from watching Thane. Kolyat was seeing a memory, though unlike his father, he didn't speak it outloud. Then Kolyat looked back at her and cleared his throat,

"He speaks of you often… do you know how he feels for you?" Kolyat was watching her, but Shepard kept her face carefully blank; her feelings for Thane, or his for her, was no one else's business. Kolyat, however, nodded once, as though she'd said something, "He loves you, deeply. I believe he loves you as much as he loved my mother. And for a while, I hated you for that too.

"While you were… away, when we were talking, he told me that you were a Siha… one of the Warrior angels of Arashu; and that you had woken him from a death sleep. He said you had given him back his life, not just in finding a cure for the disease that was slowly smothering him, but by bringing him out of the darkness he'd chosen to embrace. He wanted to do good to bring something good back to the galaxy."

Shepard spoke softly, nothing changing in her expression, "He told me once that he felt he'd taken much from the galaxy, but only give one good thing back… you."

Kolyat looked thoughtful, as though he'd not heard that before, but known it all the same. Then he gazed back at Shepard and said, "You gave him back his life, I… appreciate that more than I can say. You cured his disease and his brought light back into the darkness, delivering him from the shadows of his own device. You led him into a place from which he could find forgiveness, where he could forgive himself. For all of that, I owe you my appreciation… my thanks."

"Kolyat, your father…" but Kolyat held up his hand, asking silently for her to allow him to finish. She nodded.

"But now I must ask… no, I must beg you for one more thing… Please, Commander Shepard… do not take my father from me again. Leave him here, let him help us rebuild, to find a reason to live that doesn't include running headlong into imminent and permanent death." Kolyat's voice was filled with pain, agony and longing. There was no anger in it, just a child frightened that he would lose his parent.

Shepard was shocked, she stood for a long moment, not sure what to say. She needed Thane for this battle… she needed all her people because each brought specialized abilities to the battlefield. They had to defeat the reapers, or there would BE no rebuilding. She opened her mouth to tell Kolyat that, but stopped as he gazed down at her. He whispered, and the pain in his voice rocked her to her core. "You gave me back my father… please do not take him away from me again." Kolyat turned and opened the door, his voice was peaceful now, not filled with the painful emotion it had been, "If you will follow me, I will show you to my father's room now… he is still in recovery, so you may find him less than cognizant."

Still reeling from the talk with Kolyat, she followed him into the back reaches of the hospital to a small room, the door opened to the view of the nurses' station. Kolyat stepped back to allow her to enter the room and she found Thane lying on a bed, his head turned away from her, hands resting on his chest. His breathing was slightly labored, but not as much as she'd been expecting. As she stood there, watching him, drinking in his appearance, and the fact that he lived, she heard Kolyat mutter "I see", but before she could turn to him, Thane's eyes opened and he gazed at her, holding a hand out to her as he said, his voice weak, but still recognizable, "Siha… are you well?"

Shepard moved to take Thane's hand, sitting on the edge of his bed, drawing his hand to her face, she rubbed her cheek against it as she said, trying to keep the tears from her voice and her eyes, "Hey Thane… I'm fine… I'm more worried about you. That was quite a scare you gave me, Thane! Don't you ever do it again, you hear me?" he chuckled a bit roughly, then said,

"I hear you, Siha… will you hand me the water, please?" Shepard reached for the water, but Kolyat was there first, taking the water and crossing to his father's other side, supporting the older man's head as he raised him up and held the glass to his lips. Thane swallowed the water and cast his son a thankful look, then turned his attention back to Shepard as he said, "What became of the assassin, Siha?"

Shepard shook her head, "He bugged out when C-Sec arrived; but we'll catch him, Thane."

Chuckling, Thane said, "Of course we will, Siha… for it is you who hunts him… nowhere will be safe for him once he has triggered your desire to defeat him. Do you know where he has run to ground?" Shepard shook her head, she wasn't sure what she was going to do, and she needed Thane's assistance. However, she didn't like to lie to herself, so she admitted to herself that she could still do her mission without him; she just didn't want to. She raised her head to see that Thane was watching her face and frowning, "What has gotten you so upset, Siha?"

Forcing a smile, Shepard said, "Nothing, Thane… I'm just so glad you're ok. You're going to need some time here on the Citadel to recover…." The assassin watched her, and Shepard couldn't help but feel that he was reading her thoughts, or at least seeing deeper inside her than she was comfortable with. He glanced at his son and said,

"Kolyat, may I have a moment alone with Shepard, please?" Thane's too sharp eyes saw his son hesitate and glance at Shepard, before Kolyat stood and left. For a long moment, Thane lay there and gazed up into Shepard's eyes. Then he spoke, "Shepard… I will be able to move from here to the Medical Bay on the Normandy very quickly… well before you were scheduled to move out; unless that timetable has shifted?" Shepard shook her head and Thane continued, "Then I will be back on the Normandy within two days."

Shepard realized she was hunched over Thane's hand, as she held it to her breasts, drawing herself up straighter she said, moving his hand away from her body slightly, "I don't think that's a good idea, Thane."

Thane narrowed his eyes and then said, softly, "Why would it not be? You know that I have much to offer this team; we work well together, as do I and the rest of the team. You, I and Garrus have begun working incredibly well as a unit on ground missions. I see no reason that you should wish to be rid of me… unless it is because of your _personal_ feelings?" Shepard gazed at him, eyes wide and shook her head, the best she could do at this moment, and he went on, "Thus, unless I have done something to displease you, or you feel I have betrayed you… or you feel that my presence would be more of a drain on the mission than a benefit…."

Shepard interrupted him, "I can't lose you, Thane… I'd rather know that you're back here, safe on the Citadel, even if I'm facing imminent death, than see you die again. I want you to be safe, with your son… god Thane, you have a family… you need to make that your priority."

Thane gazed at her, "Garrus has a family as well, Siha… as does Joker; yet you do not speak of leaving them behind."

No longer looking at him, she gazed into the corner of the room, eyes far away, "I should… Liara has a father, Zaeed has a lost love out there he should find… Joker has his dad, little sister and Edi… I should remove everyone who has something to lose from this mission… just go by myself…."

"You speak as though you have nothing to lose…."

"No…" she still gazed into the corner, her mind going empty, then she turned her eyes back to Thane and said, "This is my task, Thane…" she held up a hand to still his words, "Yes, I know that the rest of you swore to help me, or volunteered, or whatever… but in the end, this is my cross to bear and I have to be the one who bears it. Perhaps by leaving you here on the Citadel with your son, alive and living… perhaps I'll find the courage to leave the others as well…."

Thane watched her, his eyes gentle, but there was a tightness to his mouth that spoke of determination, "Shepard… you can leave all of us… move on alone and think of us as safe and alive if you like… but it will not be the truth. Not for Garrus, nor Zaeed, not for Joker or myself; you can physically leave us behind, but in our hearts, our souls, we will never separate from you. And if you die on this mission, that you claim to be taking alone, do you not think that all of us will follow you? You are the sun, Siha… and we your planets… we orbit around you, your happiness, determination and strength our gravity. Remove the sun, and those not immediately destroyed, will float unfulfilled and dead in space."

Shepard caught her breath, her lip caught tight in her teeth, tears in her eyes, but she refused to allow them to fall… though two managed to get past her barriers and rolled down her cheeks. Thane reached up a trembling hand to push the tears away, resting his hand on her cheek as he said, "Siha… please do not send me away… for you are the only light in the darkness all around us. You are working to bridge entire species into a cohesive unit… krogan and turian, asari and salarian, batarian, hanar, drell… even long dead prothean. You have said that everyone must work together to defeat the reapers… do you not see how that is mirrored here? You must not stand alone… for standing alone means only a quicker fall."

Gazing into his deep, obsidian eyes, Shepard saw so much there, his hand was gentle on her cheek and the warmth of his emotions was an almost physical part of them. Shepard leaned over, pressing her lips to his, feeling his mouth move beneath hers, his tongue moved to touch hers, wrapping around hers. She moaned slightly, feeling his mouth part further, then startled by her own actions, she sat back, slightly, and leaned up to press her lips to his forehead, whispering, "You get better, Thane… get well, make sure you're back to health… then talk to your son. After that, we'll see… okay?"

Thane nodded, his lips tingling from her touch, slowly, carefully, he slid his hand behind her neck and pulled her back down; she thought he was going to kiss her again, but instead, he simply pressed his lips to her forehead and muttered something that her translator didn't catch. She looked at him, head cocked, questioningly, but he merely smiled, "When I am back on the Normandy, ask me and I may tell you what I said, Siha…." She made a face, it was the "Siha" thing all over again, and she _hated_ not being in the loop. But with a sigh, she rose and squeezed his hand, nodding.

"Let's just give it time and see where it goes, okay?"

Closing his eyes, a smile on his face, Thane said, "As you wish, Siha…."

Shaking her head, Shepard turned and left the hospital room, heading back to her team.

_**END**_

_Short chapter, I know… but I wanted to get this out and up for everyone… While I know the ending of this story, or rather the middle, since it goes PAST the end, there are parts of the development that are still, well, developing. Sometimes I don't know what's going to happen myself until it happens. Some parts, the cure for Keprels, Mordin's death, etc are things that honestly have to happen… then there are things like a couple chapters ago with the traumatic amnesia that set up something, or serve to let people know what is in Shep's heart and soul. But there are times that something happens that I didn't expect… then it comes out and makes me go OH! THAT'S what that meant!_


	49. Scene 45

_**Check out my new forum for BETWEEN THE SCENES in specific and Mass Effect in GENERAL! Lots of fun places to post and talk to people. myforums/MartaJones/1055417**_

_**This will be the last chapter for a week or so, unless something unusual happens…my beta is going to be offline, so anything written between now and then will be posted once she's back and online again! THANKS to Marie Fan-Writer for all her beta-lovliness and hard work.**_

_**BEGIN**_

Shepard stopped before she left the back of the hospital in a ladies room and washed her face. She knew that Garrus would scent Thane on her, probably even know she'd kissed him, but she needed to wash the tear tracks away. After taking a few deep, calming breaths, she exited the ward and entered the waiting room. Expecting to find her team and crew, she was surprised to see just Garrus sitting in one of the uncomfortable, hard hospital chairs. Seeing her look, Garrus stood and said, "Jack came by and dragged everyone off to the bar… Zaeed said to come by if you need a drink. How is he?"

A deep sigh came from her as she walked forward and sat down, where Garrus joined her. Shrugging, Shepard said, "He's recovering… and he wants to transfer back to the Normandy within the next couple of days…."

Garrus shrugged, nodding, "Yeah… I can see that. Is it a problem?" As usual, he was reading her well, but still nervous. Shepard stood up, she needed to move; beginning to pace, she said,

"Kolyat talked to me before I went back to see Thane…." Garrus sat, listening; he appeared to be calm, but she could sense the tension in him. For a moment, she felt like smiling; she was beginning to be able to read him as easily as he read her. "He wants me to 'let his father go' and not drag him off on a mission that will probably kill him. Kolyat says that I've given him his father back... and he's begging me not to take him away again."

Garrus winced, sighing he stood and moved to wrap his arms around her shoulders, not really holding her in place, but giving her a place to hold too. They began walking toward the door, "That had to suck, Shepard… what did you say?"

Leaning into him, feeling his warmth even through both their armors, she relaxed a bit and said, "I told Thane I thought he'd be better off staying here on the Citadel with his kid… rebuilding and making a life for himself…."

Garrus chuckled, which made Shepard look up at him, eyes narrowed, "Sorry, Shepard… but I don't see that going over well with our Drell Assassin…."

Shepard was forced to smile as well, "No, it didn't. Even when I said that he had a family… that unless it was a personal thing between us, there was no reason to keep him off the Normandy… that you had a family too, and so did others."

Now Garrus did tense up, knowing his mate, that was something that she hadn't considered, but now would. He didn't want to be sent away to "protect him." Carefully, he said, "So what did you say to that?"

"He's right… I'm selfishly taking people that have other things to keep them alive and making them go on a mission that will probably leave their families mourning them."

That was NOT something Garrus wanted to hear; he was terrified that Shepard would send him away too. The best way to avoid that, in his mind, was to convince her that all of them, including Thane, deserved to make their own choices. And that if they chose her, it was because they believed. Believed in her, or in what she was fighting for; either way, they wanted to go with her.

To his own surprise, Garrus found himself not so overly upset about Thane being part of their group; or even closer. He'd have a lot of time now to get comfortable and secure in Shepard's love for him. The fact that she care for the drell was just part of who she was… and he had to admit, the quiet dignity was calming. Sighing at his own thoughts, he began to speak, but Shepard beat him to it. "Then he said something else… and honestly, I'm not sure how to take it… or how to feel about it. He said that I'm the sun… and you are all planets in my '_gravit_y'. That you all want to be there, and trying to take you out will fuck up everything." That wasn't exactly what he'd said, but unlike Thane, she had no photo memory. Garrus hesitated, frowning as he considered what she'd said.

"Yeah… I can see that. I guess he's right, in a manner of speaking. I'm not sure if you're the sun, or the mission is… but I guess in some respect, it's the same thing. Your… your death… proved that. When you died, everything just drifted away. So yeah, in a way, you are the sun that holds all of us together."

Shepard looked down at her feet, her voice soft, "I'm not sure I can handle that responsibility, Garrus…."

Chuckling, he reached down to take her finger between his thumb and finger, and raised her chin, "Shepard… you have a lot more responsibility on your plate than that and you handle it fine. Why don't you let _us_ carry the responsibility for orbiting you? You have enough on your plate… let those of us who feel this way deal with our own emotions. You can't fix everything, Shepard… and this isn't something you can fix."

Shepard sighed, "That makes sense, Garrus… it makes perfect sense and I know you're right… I have to fight the battles I have too… but…."

Garrus chuckled and pulled her close, his hands on the back of her neck and pulled her close, pressing his forehead against her, "You wouldn't be who you are if you didn't try to make it more difficult…." Shepard tensed and Garrus had a strong feeling there was more, so he waiting and sure enough, Shepard said,

"Garrus… there's something else… something… personal."

Garrus tensed up, waiting, and when she spoke, it was pretty much what he'd expected, "I kissed him…." her voice was soft, a human might not have even heard her. She'd kissed Thane, the one person he'd always seen as his rival. Garrus waited for the white hot anger, the jealousy and the pain… and waited… and waited. To his surprise, it didn't come. Instead, there came an acceptance. He knew that Shepard loved him, that she was his mate and that no matter what else she felt, it didn't change her feelings for him. A little surprised, Garrus said,

"Ok… you kissed him." Garrus watched her and she glanced up at him, frowning, trying to figure out what was going on… "Do you want to do it again?"

Shepard hesitated. One of the reasons she'd never been good in relationships was _this_… the _**relationship talk**_. She sucked at it… sex, sex was easy… even love was easy. But when her partner wanted to _talk_ about things… well, she was at a loss. But Garrus was too precious to her to stop, to hide and protect her comfort zone. Raising her head, she looked him in the eyes, trying to read his emotions, as she said, hesitantly, "Not if you don't want me to…."

Garrus chuckled, "That's not what I asked you, amica. Do you **want** to kiss him again?" Now Shepard dropped her head, looking at their feet and whispering,

"Maybe…" Shaking his head, because that was his mate all over. Cupping her face, he raised her eyes to his and said, softly, "Amica… if you WANT to kiss him again… it's fine. I'm not mad, or upset or even really jealous."

Shepard frowned, "What changed?"

Now it was Garrus turn to gaze at something else, "I don't know, Lia… I honestly expected to feel angry and jealous… and maybe I will, later. But at this point, I don't. It's like knowing that no matter what, Thane can't screw up what we have…. So yea, you kissed him. You want to kiss him again. And right now, at this moment… I'm… ok… with that."

Looking concerned, she none the less said, "Ok… what do we do now?"

Garrus shrugged, "We go have a drink with our team… then we go to the Normandy and talk to Chakwas and see when we can move our Assassin from the hospital to the med-bay. Then we go to the distress beacon we found and get back into things… because that's what we do."

Shepard leaned in and rested her forehead against his chest, "Ok. Then let's go… we've got a plan, a goal and several steps. Let's get this back on the road…."

Garrus chuckled and turned, taking her hand and heading to the bar to meet their team; their family, "That's the spirit, amica… let's get to it."

And so they did.

_**CHAPTER BREAK**_

Thane had been right about the time table. It took two days for the doctors at the hospital to release Thane to Chakwas. Shepard didn't want to talk to Kolyat, but her inner sense of right and wrong wouldn't let her avoid it. He took it better than she'd expected, calming acknowledging that Thane _**wanted**_ to be on the Normandy… and that Shepard needed his specific skill set. He was disappointed, and he told her that he wished she would let his father go; but he seemed to accept that she couldn't let him go, when he wouldn't allow it.

Once they had Thane back on the Normandy, they set course for a planet that had been sent to Liara. An asari temple, home of the Ardat-Yakshi had been visited by a group of commandos, but they hadn't been heard from since touch down. "Ardat-Yakshi and any visitors going silent… not a good combination, Shepard," Garrus said, quietly. Liara snapped her head around,

"How do you know what an Ardat-Yakshi is, Garrus?" Garrus glanced at Shepard, asking how much to tell her and Shepard shrugged.

"We had… a run in with one during the hunt for the Collectors… one of our team was Samara."

"Yes, the Justicar, I know…" Liara interrupted. And Garrus nodded, but went on,

"She had to destroy one that had gone rouge." Shepard sighed, Garrus was being careful, leaving out certain information, since none of them were sure how far they could trust their old "friend." The truth was, Samara's target, was her daughter, an Ardat-Yakshi who had killed her way across the galaxy. Until just a few minutes ago, Shepard, Garrus and the rest of the team who knew what the truth was, had thought that Samara's three daughters were the only Ardat-Yakshi in the galaxy. To find out differently, put everything in question.

The briefing broke up and everyone retired, either to the mess hall for dinner, or to their quarters to prepare. Garrus, Shepard and Zaeed rode the elevator down to the mess together and Garrus was surprised when Zaeed said, "Got a question for you, Shepard…."

Turning to face the old merc, Shepard replied, her voice fond, "Sure, Zaeed… what's up?"

"You said back on the Citadel that you'd always wished your father wasn't your real father… that just a bunch of ga'dam words to make Liara feel ok?"

Shepard looked a little uncomfortable, but for whatever reason, she was more comfortable with Zaeed than most, and she was pretty open with everyone. Shrugging, she said, "No, it was true… my father is not what you call supportive or loving. He really only cares about people who do something that benefits him… or people he thinks are _his_. I spent a lot of time in my youth wishing that he wasn't my father… that my _real_ dad would sweep in and steal me away…."

Garrus gave Zaeed _the look_ above Shepard's head, and Zaeed shook his head, frowning, before Shepard continued, "But I know that can't be true. I mean, my mom would never cheat on my father… she's got more honor than that. She threw herself in to rising in the Alliance and raising me… but she'd never had cheated. She's just too good for that…. Besides, she'd have told me; even if she had to wait until I was out of the house to do it, she'd have told me. She loves me… there's no way she'd deny me that kind of knowledge." Now it was Zaeed's time to give Garrus _the look_ and Garrus frowned, but neither of the men said anything. Shepard said, "Why are you asking, Zaeed?"

Zaeed shrugged, there was no way in hell he was going to give Shepard any reason to question her mother's honor, let alone her love of her daughter. "Figured you knew my ga'dam deep, dark secrets… figure it was only fair that I know one of years."

Shepard frowned, that sounded off, but hey, she wasn't an expert on people, let alone Zaeed. So she smiled at him and said, "Ok… now you know… feel better?" Zaeed shrugged, and as the elevator got to the crew quarters, they all exited and nothing more was said

Gardner always made a special meal before a mission, and this was no different. Tonight, Gardner had made something called "Chili." Why, Garrus wasn't sure, since it was served very hot… and the spices he used made it hot spice wise as well. The levo option had something called "beans" with some sort of crumbled meat, various vegetables and some sort of red sauce. The Dextro option used a type of edible pod from a Palavan plant with ground, crumbled callai meat and several other spices, plant matter and meats. The sauce used was a pulverized meat sauce, it was often used to extend food, as it spread out meals. Garrus had a bowl with several pieces of hard, dried bread that Gardner called _crackers_. Garrus had to admit, the food was delicious, if a bit spicy. Unlike many of the humans, who seemed to have issues with the spice in their own, he enjoyed it immensely. It made his breathing passages open up and made his stomach grumble in approval. He hadn't had food with this much spice since leaving the turian military and he heartedly approved.

Shepard ate some of the food, but he noticed she ate less than normal, preferring the levo "crackers" and fresh rolls that Gardner had made, but he didn't question it too deeply. He assumed she didn't like the spice, as many of the humans were commenting on how "hot" it was… and Garrus had been told that "hot" was a synonym for "spicy." He doubted he'd ever understand the the human language.

The next day, as they entered orbit around the planet Lessus in the Nimbus Cluster, he crawled out of his nest and realized that he might have considered more carefully his consumption of multiple helpings of the "chili" last evening. His internal digestive organs were complaining, and to his shock and horror, his body chose then to release some of the gas from his intestines; probably due to the breakdown of the unusual combination of food he'd consumed. Shepard, who was currently putting her under armor on, stopped, sniffed and then made a face, "Oh my god! URZ! How much chili did you HAVE last night? God! OUT! Go find somewhere else to be… preferably somewhere with someone who has no sense of smell…."

Garrus tried to stay busy, ignoring the situation as Urz, with an irritated glare at Garrus, left the room huffing. Shepard shook her head, waving her hand in front of her face, "God… he STINKS when he has gas…. Good damn thing he doesn't have to be in armor! Even with the filtration, he'd choke himself! Sheesh… you about ready, honey?"

Garrus nodded, hesitating to put his helmet on, her reminder that even with filtration, smells were magnified inside a closed suit made him a bit queasy. But he covered it as well as possible, and thankfully, Shepard seemed to put it off as concentration on the mission. They entered the elevator and Garrus felt his body prepare to release another bout of gas and nearly moaned, trying his best to prevent it. Unfortunately for him, some slipped out despite his control. Luckily for him, Shepard said, assuming it was still Urz, "Oh my god… it's just staying in the elevator! We need to have Edi clear this out…." Garrus nodded, hoping that his expression was neutral. There was _NO WAY_ that he was admitting the smell that Shepard found so offensive was coming from him, not her pet Varren.

They headed to the planet, taking Liara with them. Shepard had decided that a small group was going to be better for this particular mission, so it was just Garrus, Liara and Shepard. In the shuttle, he felt his intestines begin to cramp and turn and quickly put his helmet on. Shepard looked at him in question, but he just shrugged and didn't answer. Shepard frowned, but then shrugged and let it go.

The first thing they found was a sky car, and Garrus viewed it with his visor and told Shepard that the car was still warm. Concerned now with the thought of other visitors, Shepard cautioned them to be careful. For the first few minutes, they wandered around in the dark, and to Garrus' supreme humiliation, his intestines chose that moment to release a huge bout of gas, loudly enough that it was heard, faintly, outside his armor. The smell inside his armor was nearly overwhelming to his sensitive sense of smell, but it was what happened next that cause him the most pain. Shepard said, "Shhh… I heard something?" She couldn't place the sound, it was like thick paper being ripped. When Garrus said, embarrassment in his sub-harmonics, "That was me… sorry."

Shepard frowned. "Be careful… we don't know what's here."

They found a dead Asari Commando and Garrus wondered out loud if she'd been left here, or chosen to hold her permission. Liara told him she'd have held her ground, which made Garrus voice his hope that she'd taken a few with her. It was here they'd found that the Commando's had planted a bomb in the main section.

To their surprise, once into the main section of the Monastery, it was open and airy; despite the bodies lying around; and they ran into an old friend. Samara, the Justicar, who had sworn an oath to help Shepard defeat the reapers. After speaking for a few minutes, Samara admitted her two remaining daughters were here and they had sent her a plea for help.

Later, as they searched for the best way to the bomb and fought through the reaper forces, they all paused and Shepard took her helmet off, grimacing. Garrus, Liara and Samara imitated her, and as they spoke, Shepard smelled something. Apparently the others did as well, except, apparently for Garrus, who looked unaware.

Liara finally said, "What is that smell?"

Shepard shook her head, "I don't know… maybe some byproduct of the reapers? Or maybe there are some bodies around here… it smells like something dead."

Samara shook her head, "All of the bodies seem to be recently dead… nothing to account for a smell that pungent."

Trying to change the subject, but not draw attention to himself, Garrus said quietly, "Why did the reapers invade a monastery?"

Shepard shrugged, "They'll invade everywhere, eventually…" Garrus didn't look convinced,

"Yeah… but this has no strategic standing… unless I'm missing something…."

Finishing the mission, they discovered the answer to Garrus' question. The reapers were using the Ardat-Yakshi as the base for their abominations called banshees. They were turning innocent asari into these monsters. Unfortunately, one of Samara's daughters, Rila was the victim; but she managed to take back enough control to give Shepard and the group, including her sister, Falere, a chance to escape before she set off the bomb, effectively blowing up all the Ardat-Yakshi, banshees and reapers left.

Outside the ruin, Shepard asked Falere what she'd do, and she replied that she might travel, since the monastery wasn't really much use anymore. Samara knew that she couldn't allow it… by her code, the code she'd lived by for hundreds of years, made it clear that if her daughter wasn't in the monastery, she would have to be killed. But Samara was unable to kill her last daughter, thus she turned her gun on herself. It was only through luck and speed that Shepard managed to grab the gun and remove it from Samara's hand. She pointed out that Samara had given her oath to help defeat the reapers, but Samara was firm that if her daughter wasn't in the monastery, she had to die… and since Samara couldn't do it, then she would have to kill herself to redeem her honor. Falere finally spoke up; promising her mother she'd remain at the monastery, rebuild it for the time that it was needed again. Since she was staying in the monastery, albeit without chaperones, the Justicar's code was satisfied… and Samara could live… as could her child.

Once back on the Normandy, Samara asked permission to bunk down in what had once been Jack's area.

"Are you sure, Samara? I mean, you can stay in the same place as last time…."

Samara shrugged, "I require little space, Shepard… and in my current mood, perhaps that small, dark areas will fit me better."

Frowning, Shepard said, "All right, Samara… but if you change your mind, the other area is open, ok?" Samara nodded, but took her things to the small area. Shepard turned to Garrus who was fidgeting, which was abnormal for him, he'd also left his helmet on, again, very unusual. Worried, Shepard said, "Are you all right, Garrus? You're not injured are you?"

Garrus shook his head and replied, his voice tense, "I'm fine, Shepard… permission to go change?"

Glancing at him sideways, Shepard said, "Sure… you know it's fine. But I have a few things to do, you could keep me company…."  
>"NO… I mean, no… that's fine. I just need to… you know, clean up." Narrowing her eyes, Shepard just nodded, keeping her voice mild as she said,<p>

"Sure, Garrus… go ahead…." Garrus wasted no time, turning and nearly running from the war room, though there was something about his legs that seemed… odd. It was almost as though he were walking stiff legged. Shepard started to make her rounds, but something about the way Garrus was walking worried her. What if he'd taken some damage and just didn't want to tell her. Frowning, Shepard changed her mind, re-entered the elevator and told Edi to take her to her quarters.

Entering the quarters, Shepard nearly gagged, the smell was horrific… looking around, she looked for Urz, sure that the Varren had soiled something… NOTHING could smell that bad. She was so involved looking for her pet that she nearly tripped over Garrus armor. Frowning, she realized the armor made a line to the bathroom. Concerned once more, she changed her path and headed to the bathroom, cueing the door. The second the door opened, the smell nearly knocked her back, but it was the site of her mate, sitting on the toilet, clutching his belly and moaning loudly, that got her attention. When he looked up at her, the expression on his face was torn between pain, embarrassment and humiliation. Suddenly Shepard knew what had happened and she couldn't the giggle that escaped her mouth.

Garrus saw his mate staring at him as he sat on the toilet, his bowls releasing all their contents, burning as bad going out as it had going in. His gut burned with agony, his vent burned as though he'd sat in acid and everything in his bowels was coming out, and the smell would make a Varren gag. And his mate was LAUGHING.

Shepard slapped a hand over her mouth at the look on Garrus face; now irritation had joined the rest of the emotions. She turned around for a moment, tried to control herself and said, "Garrus… have you been… err… like this all day?"

Garrus snarled, "I'm glad you find my humiliation and agony funny, Shepard…."

Turning back around, her face legitimately concerned, "Oh honey… I don't! I really don't! Edi… recycle the air in here please…" as the air circulators kicked in, on overdrive, Shepard continued, moving carefully toward her mate, "Garrus… I would never laugh at your pain," at his look of disgusted disbelief, Shepard forced her face into an expression of love and support, she said, "I wouldn't. It just caught me by surprise… I'm amazed that you were able to stick it out as long as you did… I know you must have been in serious pain… I never thought that the Dextro version of Chili would give the same reaction as Levo…."

Garrus looked shocked, "THIS is what happens with people eat that _chici_?"

"Chili, but yea… a lot of times; the legume, err, beans, give people gas. And sometimes the spices can cause diarrhea and stomach irritation. Do you need me to call Doc…?"

"_**NO**_, please amica… if you love me, do NOT call Chakwas or anyone else… I can handle this, but the humiliation of anyone else knowing, that might kill me." Still trying to keep a straight face, Shepard nodded,

"Ok, honey… but if this doesn't get better… or gets worse, we're calling the doc. Is there anything I can do?"

His body expelled another gush of burning acid like waste material and he whimpered, shaking his head. "No… nothing… I just have to… ride it out…."

Shepard walked into the bathroom to the medicine cabinet and took out the Dextro version of "Pepto Bismal" and handed him the tablets, with a glass of water. Garrus took them, swallowing them, then groaning as another wave of cramping rode his intestines. He groaned, thinking his bowels might be empty, finally. Whimpering, he looked at his mate who had her back to him, turning on the water in the shower. "I'll get out of here as soon as I can, amica… so you can have a shower…."

Glancing back over her shoulder, Shepard smiled at her mate, "I'm running this for both of us, honey… no funny business, I promise… just a nice, relaxing shower and into our nest. His cramping in his gut eased a little and he moaned, the shower sounded so good. He finished on the toilet, wincing as he cleaned himself, then stood and moved on jelly like legs to the shower. Shepard had stripped while he was, err, taking care of business, so now she stepped into the shower, offering him her hand so he'd join her. Together they stood under the spray and Garrus closed his eyes, leaning against the wall. A second later, he jumped as Shepard took the shower head off the wall and moved it to shoot warm water up between his legs, hitting his vent.

"GHAAAAA! DAMMIT SHEPARD! Warn a guy before you shoot water up his vent!"

Shepard coughed, and Garrus growled at her, "Garrus, honey… the water will help cool the burn…" Garrus frowned, she was right, it had helped. He turned his back, leaning against the wall and spreading his legs in a mute appeal and with another cough, Shepard ran the water over his vent, then down his legs, before heating the water back up and letting it beat against his gut. Again, he had to admit it felt damn good. After a while, Shepard put the showerhead back, turned off the water and then grabbed a towel, patting him dry including his vent, but gently. She led him to their nest and got him in, drying herself off and joining him.

Garrus sighed, laying down felt so good. When his mate reached over to touch his shoulder, he tensed. If she needed him, he'd do whatever he could to make her feel as good as possible. Instead, Shepard pulled him toward her, resting his head on her breast and wrapping her arms around him, gently stroking his back. "Go to sleep, honey…. Get as much rest as you can in case you get… err… sick again."

Shaking his head, Garrus swore he'd NEVER eat "chili" again… no matter HOW good it had tasted.


	50. Scene 46

_**Note: Sorry for the break, there has been a LOT going on and I just didn't have a chance to work on this or anything else except my school work. I did go back and add a new scene just after scene 8, I think. Hopefully, I can get back and catch up now. I really appreciate all the lovely reviews and nice PMs**_

"Oh for… DAMMIT…!" Shepard shook her head; she was not amused with the current information from Hackett, the lack of news from Anderson and the bad news from Victus. The only good news was from Wrex; they were slowly pushing back the Reaper's organic waves on Palavan and Menae. On the other hand, there was some interesting news; the quarians had finally decided to make contact and now the Normandy was heading merrily on its way to meet up with the Migrant Fleet.

On one hand, Shepard was looking forward to seeing Tali again; on the other, she had a bad feeling that the Admirals of the Migrant Fleet were going to cause a shit load of problems. She knew the bad blood between the quarians and the geth, but just like the issues with the krogan and… well, everyone else; people just had to freaking stop and think. The Reapers were HERE! There is no time for petty internal squabbles. If they didn't join forces and work together, every single one of them would die. Then what would it matter if the krogans and salarians didn't like each other or the quarians hated the geth. The only thing that mattered was that if the reapers won, then every sentient, space faring race would be extinct. Sometimes she thought that she and her crew were the only bloody ones who got that.

"Uhm… Commander?"

"Yeah, Joker… what's up?"

"Err…there's an incoming communication for you… want me to put it through to the war room?"

Frowning, Shepard asked, "Who is the communication from, Joker?"

Joker hesitated, and then said, "Miranda."

Shepard smiled, she and the ex-Cerberus agent would never agree on everything, but they were both on the same page about a lot of things. "Put her through to the War Room, Joker; I'm on my way now."

The dark haired, "genetically perfect" woman smiled when she appeared on the screen and Shepard smiled back at her, "Miranda… good to hear from you."

"You too, Shepard… I've got some news, about a few things, actually. But I need to come onboard and talk to you about it…."

Shepard pursed her lips, "Sure, but we're on our way to meet the quarians; I don't know if we can swing by wherever you are and pick you up…"

Miranda smiled again, "Not to worry, Shepard… I've got a ride. I'll meet you, let me make a few arrangements and I'll send the coordinates to Mr. Moreau, I promise, I won't hold you up."

Shepard chuckled, "Good to know… ok, send the coordinates and we'll swing by and get you. Anything you need me to start working on ahead of time?"

Miranda looked hesitant, and then shook her head, "No, I really think speaking in person is the best idea. I'll see you soon."

Shepard frowned as Miranda ended the communication; whatever she was on about, you could bet it wouldn't be good.

_**CHAPTER BREAK**_

"Amica… what is this?" Garrus stood, carefully holding the offending object up by one claw. Looking up from the data pad she was reading, Shepard's eyes widened when she saw the object that Garrus was holding up. The look of disgust and irritation on her turian mate's face made her giggle, which made her slap her hand over her mouth. Garrus eyes widened and he tossed the object to the side and stalked toward his mate. Shepard sat at the desk in their quarters, her hand over her mouth, eyes widening as her mate stalked her. Taking a deep breath, Shepard spoke with forced calm, removing her hands from her face and attempting to be calmly commanding, "What are you doing, Garrus?"

Garrus stalked his mate, his sharp eyes narrowing as he said, "That sound… I don't think I've ever heard you make it before…."

Shepard frowned, "You've heard me laugh before…."

Garrus nodded, and paused next to her, cocking his head and looking down at her, "I've heard you laugh, but never make that sound…" She smiled up at him, and chuckled,

"Guess I'm not really a giggly person…."

Garrus gazed down at her, raising a hand and using one talon to caress her face, he said, "Guess not… but it's really an amazing sound, amica." Shepard stood up, not even trying to push Garrus back, so when she stood, it was into his arms. He wrapped his arms around her, leaning down to nuzzle her face affectionately. He began to purr at her and she sighed, leaning into his embrace.

Shepard smiled, relaxing into the embrace, "I love that sound… just so you know…."

Widening his mandibles, Garrus purred as he held his mate close and said, his cheek resting against the top of her head, "I know, amica… I know."

_**CHAPTER BREAK**_

The door to her private quarters, or rather, she and her mate's private quarters, opened and Shepard strode into them. Without looking around, she made her way to the bed, and dropped down on it, face first. Right now, the only thing she wanted was to bury her face in her mate's chest and sleep until everything seemed like a bad dream.

The situation with the quarians and the geth was… rectified. There was peace, albeit, not as uneventful as she'd hoped. Legion, brave, honest, FRIEND Legion was gone, having given his "life" to bring the geth back to the light. Shepard felt her eyes fill with tears as she remembered the way the geth had referred to himself in the singular for the first time just before he died. In theory, she understood his actions; she even respected them, was willing to do the same herself. But her heart ached at the loss of yet another friend.

She heard the door opened an a few second later, her mate's arms slid around her as he lay down on her bed. Drawing her close, he pulled her face to his chest, and she felt the rumble of approval as she buried her face in his chest and snuggled as close as possible to him.

Nuzzling his nose against her temple, Garrus whispered, his sub harmonics vibrating with love and sorrow, "I know it hurts, Lia… and I'm not going to give you any _old_ platitudes."

Shepard smirked in spite of herself, her memory replaying the conversation Garrus just alluded too.

"But I know, and you know, that what Legion did will help. Over and over, you've proven you can do things that most people can't even dream of doing. You defeated Saren, Sovereign, destroyed the collector base… and now have brought peace between the quarians and geth. Oh, and one other thing… what was it? Hmmmm." She heard the note in Garrus' sub harmonics that told her he was being playful, but there was a note of seriousness in there too…

"Oh yes… defeated ANOTHER Reaper…. You not only gave the quarian's back their home world, but allied them with the geth and brought BOTH on board for this fight." Garrus smirked at her, using his hand to tip her head back so he could look into her eyes, he murmured, "You're a miracle, Shepard… to everyone in the galaxy."

Shepard sighed, she hated that thought. But just as she was about to correct him, Garrus placed a finger on her lips and said, "But to me… you're my mate. As wonderful as you are, the most wonderful, special, important thing to me is that you're my mate. I love you Lia Shepard… and I always will."

Shepard swallowed hard wondering how Garrus always knew just what to say, just the words she needed to get her back up and moving. Sometimes the only thing that kept her going was Garrus and his magic ability to know what to say and when to say it.

**Chapter Break**

"Are you sure it's real? After all, we've had signals from turian ships before that were traps…."

Traynor nodded, her cheeks red as she stammered a little, "I… err… I double and triple checked it, Commander. I know what's happened before, so I wanted to make sure this was on the up and up… the _Talia_ is stranded…. It's a small turian military frigate. Everything checks out."

Shepard sighed, "Ok… let's go check it out. We can't leave allies out here hurting and stuck… Joker, set a course and get us there, but keep a weather eye on the horizon…"

A moment of silence, as Samantha Traynor stared at her and said, "Errr, what Commander?"

But Joker just quipped, "Aye Aye Cap'in."

Shaking her head, Shepard didn't try to explain to the confused woman, instead she turned and headed to the elevator and pushed the button for the crew level.

Entering the Main Battery, she paused to watch her mate moving quietly between the long access rows and the console. After a moment, he spoke, his voice humming with amusement, "Something you need, Shepard?"

Grinning, Shepard said, "Naw, I'm just window shopping…" Garrus cast her an odd but amused look and then turned, leaning against the console, arms crossed across his chest and said,

"What's going on, Shepard?"

Sighing, Shepard shook her head, "We got a distress call from a turian vessel… the _Talia_. You know anything about her?"

Garrus frowned, thinking then shook his head, "Not familiar… what kind of ship?"

"Small frigate… turian military."

"Is the signal confirmed? We've had issue with fake turian distress beacons before, remember?"

Shepard grinned, that was one of the reasons she loved her mate; their minds thought a lot alike. "Edi and Traynor both say they checked it three times…."

Garrus grinned at her, "Want me to check it too, just to be sure?" Shepard grinned back at him, chuckling,

"Yeah… just take a quick look. If it checks out, we'll see what we can do. If it doesn't, we'll see who we can beat…."

Garrus shook his head as he pulled up the signal and ran it through his own checks; nodding as he turned and said,

"It looks legit…."

Shepard nodded, "Joker… eta to the distress call?"

Joker's voice came over the intercom, "About 2 hours, Commander."

Sighing, Shepard said, "Ok… we've got 2 hours. We'll meet at the shuttle in an hour and forty five minutes. Any suggestions for a third?"

"Tali," Garrus never even hesitated and Shepard nodded, grinning,

"MY thoughts exactly!"

**Chapter Break**

The shuttle dropped the three old friends off at the shuttle bay. To their surprise, the shuttle bay lacked gravity and air, though no damage was shown. As a matter of fact, the entire ship seemed fine; no damage, no breeches, nothing to indicate why the ship was literally dead in space. As they disembarked the shuttle, they formed into a familiar marching pattern and explored the shuttle bay. The shuttle sat in their berths: nothing seemed out of the ordinary, except for the lack of air and gravity. Shaking her head, Shepard said, "It's like the ship just shut down… for no reason at all."

Garrus glanced around, his gizzard was clenched and his fringe was tight against his head as he said, "I don't like it, Shepard… it's… wrong."

Tali nodded, "I agree… this is just not the way it's supposed to be. Where are the turians?"

Neither Shepard nor Garrus had an answer for her, so they just headed up to the next level, which was engineering. All the way to the CIC, the ship was the same; no air, no gravity, no bodies. Just empty, almost haunted space. As they entered the area that would be the CIC on the Normandy, Garrus heard something; but his warning came too late as a shot fired directly at them. Tali was still in the access hall and just fell back, nearly hitting Garrus. Shepard, unfortunately was through the doorway into the bridge and had very little place to go. As the shot hit the wall where she'd been standing a few moments before, she launched herself off the wall into a combat roll to put herself behind a panel, calling out,

"Cease Fire… I'm Commander Shepard of the Normandy SR2, we're here answering a distress call." Utter silence answered her and she glanced up to see Garrus raise a hand and say, his double flanging voice carrying a sub-harmonic of non-threat,

"Cease fire before you blow us all into space…."

A voice came from across the room, by the echoing effect of the voice; Shepard figured it was turian which, since they were on a turian vessel, was really no surprise.

"Hold fire… who are you?"

Garrus shot Shepard a look and she nodded, so he replied, "I'm Praefectus Garrus Vakarian… formerly of C-Sec, now serving on the Normandy SR2. We're here to answer a distress call from this vessel…"

Shepard started; she knew that the Generals on Menae had saluted him, but she had never heard a rank associated with her lover.

"Vakarian?" a higher pitched voice spoke, and with a start Shepard realized it was a female turian. "Sorry… we thought you were Cerberus."

Shepard glanced at Garrus, who gave her an almost imperceptible nod, and rose. Taking her place in front of Garrus as Tali moved to stand behind him, Shepard said,

"You've had some issues with Cerberus, I take it?"

The turians, seven figures in all, stood up and walked toward them. The one who had spoken, a slighter figure in heavy turian armor said,

"Yes… they're the reason we're in this shape. Commander Shepard? I'm sorry we shot at you."

Shepard nodded, "No problem, I'm used to it. What happened here?"

"Cerberus attacked us… we managed to get away and hide in the asteroid belt, but they really screwed the ship. Engineering is down, weapons are offline, and hull breeches are all over the place… that distress signal was about the only thing we could do…. By the way, my name is Shala Scorpio, I'm… I was the gunner on the _Talia_."

Nodding, Shepard glanced at Garrus and saw that he was checking out the console to their left, as he glanced over the turian's. Shaking his head, Garrus said, "No power at all, Shepard…"

Shepard nodded, "Ok… then I think it's for the best to get everyone over to the Normandy and go from there."

Shala hesitated, then sighed, her sub-harmonics reverberating distress and acceptance, "I understand… I think we've salvaged everything we can, Commander…."

Shepard nodded, "How many of you are there?"

Straightening up, the female replied, her voice and sub-harmonics falling into a subordinate to officer tone, "Six others and myself, Commander. All of us are here…."

Nodding, Shepard said, "Ok… we have a shuttle attached to the landing bay, let's head down and get you off this ship."

As the turians headed out following Tali, she couldn't help by notice how Shala fell into step with Garrus and exchanged a few words with him. Her sub-harmonics made a sound Shepard hadn't heard before and she frowned. To her relief, however, Garrus nodded and then fell back to walk beside his mate, saying,

"You ok, Shepard?"

Shepard touched his arm, carefully as she said, "Yeah, no harm done… we'll have to see about getting them somewhere safe…."

Garrus shrugged, "Safest place I can think of is the Normandy, Shepard… and another unit couldn't go wrong…."

Shepard frowned, glancing at her mate and then said, "We'll talk about it after we get back to the Normandy… I want to hear everyone's opinions… and we're due to meet Miranda soon too."

Garrus gave her a strange look, but clicked his mandibles and nodded, "Ok, Shepard… let's get us back home."


	51. Scene 47

_**Regarding the last chapter…the "offending object" is left up to your imagination! Anyone want to guess what it was? The right answer gets you a cookie…LOL**_

_**Chapter Begin**_

As the group reached the shuttle and found their seats, Shepard turned to the spokesperson and said, removing her helmet, "Ok, someone want to tell me what happened in a little more detail?"

The turian pulled her helmet off and Shepard tried not to stare, but a female turian was unusual for her. She had a smaller cowl and lacked the fancy fringe that Garrus and other males sported. Forcing her attention back on what the female was saying, Shepard heard,

"Just what I said, really… we answered a distress call and ended up running into a Cerberus ship. They opened fired and we returned, suddenly all power went out and we were dead in space. It was short work then; they boarded and started shooting anyone they could catch. We fought back, and the Captain managed to get a distress call off; then they left…."

Shepard exchanged a look with Garrus and then said, frowning,

"They just left? Did anyone hear any radio chatter? Anything that might explain why they just left?"

The female turian, Scorpio shook her head and said, "No. Nothing, and trust me, Commander, we've gone over it again and again, trying to see if any of us know anything. They just stopped, turned around and left."

Garrus shrugged at Shepard's look and said,

"That doesn't sound like Cerberus… but maybe something scared them off?"

Shepard made an exasperated sound and said, "Just what we need… something else that doesn't make sense."

One of the turians, a young male that Shepard doubted had been out of boot camp longer than a year spoke up, "Preafectus Vakarian?" Garrus met the young male's gaze and nodded, the turian replied, "Is there news from Palavan? We've been out of contact for a week or so…."

Shepard exchanged a look with Garrus and muttered, "Praefectus? Something I should know, Garrus?" Her mate shot her a resolved look and said,

"Later, okay?" To the other turians he said, "Yeah, the krogan are on the ground and beating the reapers back… there is still a lot of fighting and dying, but there is hope."

Another turian, the other female, said, "I can't believe the krogan are fighting for us…."

Garrus shook his head and said, "They're doing a hell of a job… and you are?"

The female straightened up and said, firmly, "Immunis Accalia Chromin, sir."

Garrus nodded, "Immunis Chromin…" raising his eye ridges, he gestured for the others to speak up as well.

"Immunis Balbus Corphers."

"Immunis Caecilia Tarian."

"Centurion Merrius Proterea."

"Immunis Corvin Teacus."

The turian furthest from them had been sitting silently until this point; now he raised his head, removing his own helmet and said, "Centurion Gracchus, Flavius Gracchus… hello Garrus."

Garrus started, his mandibles wide as he said, "Flavius? Spirits, it's been years! I thought you were leading one of the colony barracks."

The quiet turian nodded, his plates were pale, and his colony markings were a vivid, human blood red and shaped almost like a spider. "I was… until the reapers came. Have you heard from your family, Garrus? I remember your mother's _mauch ballah_… it's one of best recipes that I've ever eaten."

Garrus' mandibles drooped, his shoulders slumping as he said, quietly, "I haven't heard from my father or Solana… but mother died before the invasion… Corpalis."

There were several sub-harmonic keens that Shepard had learned was a sympathy sound and Shala, who was sitting on Garrus' other side reached over and squeezed his forearm gently. Shepard frowned as Shala left her hand on Garrus' arm longer than she thought was proper. Flavius said, his voice quiet, but the soft keening sounded sad,

"I'm sorry, Garrus… I know how close you were to your mother."

Garrus nodded, seemingly to ignore Shala's touch as he said, "Yeah… it was difficult. She had some success with a new salarian treatment, but the condition was so far advanced by the time she got the treatment, that it only bought her time."

Shepard reached over and rested her hand on Garrus' where it sat on the bench between them and smiled to herself as he turned his hand and gripped hers, firmly. The rest of the ride to the Normandy was silent.

_**Chapter Break**_

Shepard rolled her shoulders and sighed as the elevator reached the loft of the Normandy. All she wanted right now was a hot shower and her mate, not necessarily in that order. It had been three days since they had rescued the crew from the turian frigate, and to her immense surprise, the crew included not one, but two female turians. She shouldn't have been surprised, but she hadn't seen many female turians, though turian females were trained and fought beside the males. Her door opened and Shepard walked in, glancing around the quarters for Garrus. He'd been off duty today, so she expected him to be here, waiting when she got off duty. Frowning at the empty quarters, she said, "Edi… where is Garrus?"

"Officer Vakarian is in the starboard lounge speaking to Centurion Scorpio." Shepard frowned, ever since they'd gotten the _Talia's_ survivors back to the Normandy, the female gunner seemed to be hanging around Garrus all the time. A surge of jealousy flamed through her and she growled to herself; she had never been jealous before she'd met Garrus; but then, she'd never felt love as deeply about anyone as she did about Garrus. Not that she doubted Garrus' commitment to her; and she knew that Garrus was enjoying having the other turians aboard. Especially Flavius whose family was close to Garrus'; the two males had been raised near each other and maintained a friendship over the years.

But Scorpio, that turian, Shepard could do without. Thinking about the Centurion reminded Shepard of a question she had for Edi. "Edi… can you tell me what some of the turian ranks are? Their human equivalents, maybe? like… Immunis… Centurion… Praefectus?" Shepard thought Edi might have hesitated, but then dismissed that thought. Why would the AI hesitate about a simple question of turian rank structure?

"Of course, Commander… Immunis would be somewhere between Private and Corporal, depending on the level. The turian rank structure is similar to the ancient human romans; though the translations are, of course, not completely accurate, it is the closest approximation. Centurion would be lieutenant, or perhaps lieutenent commander." Shepard waited, but when Edi didn't continue, finally said, frowning,

"And Praefectus?" There was a definite hesitation now, and Shepard couldn't help but wonder why.

"The closest equivalent for Praefectus would be General… or perhaps Admiral." Shepard considered what Edi had said, and was quiet for a few minutes as she changed out of her uniform into her hoodie and civvie pants. Then she said,

"Are there levels of Praefectus?"

"Yes… much as human's have stars for their Generals or designations such as rear admiral… there are four stages in the turian Praefectus rank."

Shepard considered that, and then said, "Do you know where Garrus stands in the rankings?"

"Yes." Again, Shepard waited, but when no further comment was added, she grew irritated and snapped,

"Edi… dammit, why the reticence? Usually you're all for answering questions in depth, but on this I feel like I'm pulling teeth… just spit it out already." Shepard thought she heard hesitation as well as humor in Edi's synthetic voice as she said,

"Even though I have now acquired a body, Commander, I never the less lack both teeth and saliva, so…" Glaring at the ceiling now, Shepard snapped,

"Edi… just answer the question; what rank is Garrus Vakarian in the turian military and why are you so hesitant to answer me?"  
>"Praefectus Vakarian currently carries the military rank the equivalent of a four star general, placing him one rank beneath the Primarch and in the line of succession." Shepard reached out and leaned against her desk; that was unexpected. She thought back to the day that Garrus had rejoined the Normandy and she'd teased him about being the Primarch; she'd had no idea how close to reality she'd been.<p>

"Wow… so why the reticence to tell me, Edi?"

"Officer Vakarian ordered me to not call him by his turian military rank and not to volunteer the information unless directly asked." Shepard frowned,

"Why the hell was he hiding that?"

"I do not know, Shepard… but I believe he was concerned about your reaction to the news of his rank." Shepard shook her head again, glaring at the hologram of her and Garrus that adorned her desk,

"Dumbass turian idiot…. You said he was in the starboard lounge, Edi?"

"That is correct, Shepard…" Still irritated, Shepard left her quarters and headed down to the crew level.

_**Chapter Break**_

"Are you KIDDING? You really killed a Reaper on Rannoch? And that was on top of Sovereign? No wonder they gave you the promotion!" Garrus shook his head, moving slightly to the left, away from the female turian who sat next to him as he said, "Naw, that was Shepard. I was just watching her six…" Across from him, Balbus, the youngest of the turians, stared at him with an almost worshipping expression on his face.

"But still…" before he could finish, the doors opened and Garrus saw Shepard walk in. His mandibles widened as the rest of the turians surged to their feet, saluting the Commander. Garrus didn't notice the slightly sluggish movement of Shala to his side as he grinned at his mate. His smile faded, though, when he saw the look on her face. Standing up as Shepard said,

"At ease… I appreciate the thought, but we're a little less formal here on the Normandy… you don't have to snap to attention every time I walk in the room when you're off duty."

Shepard moved across the room toward Garrus, who had stood up. She hadn't missed the fact that the female turian corporal was sitting very close to Garrus and had her hand on his leg; nor had she missed the slightly disrespecting slowness of Shala's move to attention. This was definitely something she and Garrus would have to discuss at the very least. Forcing herself to keep a pleasant, professional face, she walked over toward the group and continued, "With having different species onboard, we try to keep things more relaxed and honor the traditions of all our crew."

There were looks exchanged through the group, then Shala, with a turian smirk, said, "So… you know that turian vessels have a bit more… err… fraternization and such?"

Moving to sit on the arm of the sofa next to Garrus as he resumed his seat, glancing at her with a concerned look in his eye as he picked up his glass and took a drink, Shepard smirked right back at Shala and said, "I know that turian commanders _ride_ their subordinates harder than humans do… and _blowing off steam_ is encouraged…." Taking a drink as Shepard spoke, Garrus began to choke, the turian whiskey burning its way into his airway rather than his gizzard. Shepard pounded him on the back a few times and laughed as Shala turned to him with a strange look on her face. Shepard smirked as she continued, "As long as it doesn't endanger the ship or crew, and things are kept professional, I have no issue with keeping certain turian traditions alive."

Flavius widened his mandibles and said, "A wise commander knows when to indulge her crew, Commander… I think you're definitely living up to your press…." Shepard smiled at the turian; she honestly liked him; and most of the others. Shala was the only one she had a problem with, and that was personal, not professional. Standing up, Shepard smiled at the assembled turians and said, "Garrus, mind coming with me? I have something to discuss with you…." Still wheezing a bit, Garrus stood and said,

"Of course, Shepard…" the two left the room and Shala laughed out loud. The others were talking among themselves, and either ignored or just glanced at Shala, but Flavius spoke up,

"Mind yourself, Scorpio… hasty decisions lead to bad career moves." Shala tightened her mandibles against her cheeks, making a sound in her sub-harmonics that was basically irritation as she said,

"What are you talking about, sir? The Commander just said she runs her ship like a turian vessel… and since Garrus has been the only turian onboard, it's obvious that he's unattached…."

The other female, Accalia, said, "I wouldn't be too sure about that, Scorpio…Vakarian and Shepard seems pretty close…" Shala huffed, chuffing as she said,

"Riiiiiggghhhhttttt…. a **Vakarian** with a _HUMAN_? Don't you know who Garrus' father is?"

Accalia shrugged, her mandibles snapping closed with an audible sound, "Whatever, Scorpio… just don't get your plates twisted if he shuts you down…."

Shaking her head, Shala stood and headed out of the room, calling back over her shoulder, "Whatever, Chromin… don't wait up for me."

Flavius shook his head and shared an exasperated look with Accalia as he said, "That young female is going to get herself in a world of hurt one of these days…" Accalia nodded, and the two turned back to the conversation in the room.

_**Chapter Break**_

Shepard led Garrus out of the lounge into the elevator and pressed the button for their quarters, all without saying a word. Garrus glanced at his mate, concerned with the expression, or rather the lack of expression, on her face. There was obviously something on her mind… but she spoke not a single word until they reached their quarters and the door closed behind them.

"Edi… lock the doors and do NOT disturb us unless we're being attacked, spaced or we are crashing… and turn off all recording devices and cameras in my quarters."

"Of course Shepard… is there anything else?"

"No."

"Logging you out, Shepard." Garrus followed Shepard down into the bedroom area and to the couch, watching her sit down and raise her eyes to his. When she didn't speak after a minute or so, he cleared his throat and said,

"Is there something wrong, amica?" Cocking her head to the side, Lia said, calmly,

"You tell me, Garrus… what's with Scorpio?" Garrus frowned, that was not what he was expecting. Shaking his head, he moved to sit next to his mate and said,

"What do you mean?" Shepard gave him a strange look, as though he were missing something extremely obvious, but merely said, mildly,

"She seems very… enamored with you." A moment went by as Garrus absorbed that, and then a self-satisfied turian smirk crossed his face as he said,

"Lia, are you _jealous_?" Glaring at him, Shepard sat tensely, even as Garrus wrapped his arm around her shoulders and tried to cuddle her rigid body close to him. Chuckling, Garrus went on, gazing down at her irritated face, "Amica… you are the only female that has my interest. You're my bondmate, my love and my wife… besides; Scorpio just has a case of hero worship… I can't help it that my stylish manner has little turians in awe of me." Shepard couldn't stop the grin from crossing her face, even as she rolled her eyes at his words.

"It's more than hero worship, Garrus… she is hoping to get in your pants…." Now Garrus laughed out loud, chuffing in amusement as he said,

"Amica… she's just a kid who is enamored with my reputation… that's it. Besides, I have all the female I could ever want, or handle, right here on this couch with me. Don't you trust me?" Though his voice was light and teasing, Shepard heard the thin line of worry in it and sighed,

"Of course I trust you, Garrus… with my life and my heart. But trust me; a woman knows when some other female is making eyes at her man…." Now it was Garrus' turn to roll his eyes as he snuggled her closer to him, and widened his mandibles as she moved up and swung her leg over his, perching in his lap. Garrus rested his hands on her hips, his mandibles wide and relaxed as he huffed in amusement and shook his head at her. Lia rested her hands on his cowl, leaning forward to nuzzle his face as she said,

"Laugh it up, Vakarian… but when she makes a pass at you, then you'll owe me." Nuzzling her back, his rough tongue moving out to trace the whorls of her ear, nipping her lobe gently as he said, his hands sliding up to her waist, whispering,

"And what about when she doesn't? What will you owe me, amica?" Shepard caught her breath, moaning as his tongue and mouth traced her ear and continued down her neck. Her hands went up to his fringe, stroking and caressing him with one hand, while her other hand rubbed the area beneath his fringe. Now it was Garrus' turn to moan as she returned the favor and turned her head to lick and suckle his mandibles and the skin beneath them. Her voice breathless and filled with desire, Lia whispered,

"Fine… when she makes a pass at you… you buy me the new ammo mod for my Mantis…." Garrus chuckled, it was expensive, but since he had no intention of losing, he agreed with a smirk and a few more breathy nuzzles of her ear. She was rubbing herself against him now, her hands busy on his fringe and beneath it as his hands worked up beneath the hoodie to cup her breasts.

"Fine… and when she doesn't, you buy me that stabilization mod for my rifle. Deal?" Moaning in earnest now, as his hands caressed her; Lia nodded. One of his hands was still cupping her breast, the other slipping into her pants to fondle her. Lia pushed his shirt wide and kissing his chest plates, dragging her tongue between his plates as one of her hands slid down his body to his pants, dipping inside. Garrus moaned, then moved his hands to grip her ass as he stood, taking her with him as she giggled. Garrus smiled and strode to the bed, whispering into her ear, "Bets on, amica… now, clothes off!"

_**Chapter Break**_

The next morning Garrus exited the elevator on the crew level, he was making happy chuffing sounds in his sub-harmonics. The night had been spectacular, and his mate was just as happy as he was. They were due to meet up with Miranda in a couple of hours and Shepard had gone to the war room to prepare. Chuckling at his mate's very happy and satisfied expression as she'd kissed him goodbye when she exited at the engineering level, Garrus didn't notice the silence as he walked toward the main battery. He had gotten a new program that he wanted to install and calibrate on the cannon, and he was hopeful that it would increase both the accuracy and damage. He triggered the door to the Main battery and walked in, not paying attention as several members of the crew hurried over to the door to listen.

Intending to go directly to the panel, he barely glanced to the right at the cot that still sat in the battery; though it was never used anymore. As his eyes fell on the cot, he froze, eyes wide, mandibles opened in shock and horror, all color draining from his face. He muttered, "Damn it… that be damned mod is going to take an entire weeks pay… and hours to install…."

Shala Scorpio sat on his cot, naked, eyes narrowed at him as she whispered, just loud enough for him to hear, one of her hands caressing her own body, the other reaching for him,

"Hello there, Garrus… I've been waiting for you…."


	52. Scene 48

_**ThomsFlame, I've have replied to you, but you weren't signed in when you left a message. Thanks and I'm sorry that you turned into a high powered pressure washer! Hope your computer is safe! LOL. Glad that it amused you, though!**_

_**Thanks as always to Marie FanWriter, my wonderful Flying Beta! Congrats!**_

Garrus backtracked as quickly as possible, avoiding both Scorpio's hand and eye contact with her. He reached the door just as they slid open to reveal Shepard, gazing down at a data pad. She didn't look up as she said, "Garrus, I forgot that I needed to ask…" and then cut off as the fully grown, though thankfully unarmored, turian male backed into her with force, shoving her backward and onto her butt in the hall outside the battery. She had just enough time to look up, see the naked female in the cot and the look of exasperated shock on her face as the doors closed. Garrus rather gracelessly tripped over his mate and, in an attempt not to land on her, twisted himself sideways so that when he landed it was with an "oooph" behind and slightly to the left of her prone figure.

She turned to look at her lover, frowning before she noticed the expression he wore: shock, horror and absolute humiliation. That alone would have told her he was innocent, if she'd had any doubt; which she didn't. She knew her mate and he had absolutely no interest in anyone but her, though as was obvious to both of them, the same could not be said for others onboard the Normandy. Casting her mind for something to say that wouldn't do more damage, she finally settled on, "So… you think you can get that mod and install it before we get to the next stop?"

Startled, Garrus frowned and said, "Errr… probably, if Cortez can get it delivered by then… it will take me most of the day to install it."

Shepard pursed her lips, considering, then nodded and said, "Cool… ready to deal with this shit now?"

Horrified, Garrus shook his head violently from side to side, "NO! Do I have to?"

Lips still pursed, Shepard cocked her head to one side and said, "I think you do… after all, it's not **MY** bed she's naked in…." Frowning, Shepard considered that a moment, then said, "Which is probably a really good thing, all things considered."

Garrus now nodded, his expression still caught between horrified, humiliated and shocked, "Yeah… ok, but you'll stay in between us?"

Now Shepard grinned, "You're afraid of the little female whose half your size?"

Again, Garrus nodded violently, "Yeah… you should know that size has absolutely no bearing on ferocity…."

Considering that, Shepard had to nod again, "True… ok. Help me up…."

Garrus rose somewhat more gracefully than he'd gone down and offered his hand to his mate, hauling her to her feet and putting her resolutely in front of him. In any other circumstance, he'd be more than happy to enter the room first, taking any damage before her to protect her; but in this case, he was content to use his mate as a shield.

The doors opened and, to her credit, Scorpio was already getting back into her armor. She stood straight up, eyes forward as Shepard and Garrus walked in, clad only in the bottom half of her armor and said, "I didn't know you were going to be here, Commander…."

Shepard nodded, keeping her eyes as cool as possible, "Apparently there is a lot you don't know, Scorpio. Leading the pack of "things Scorpio doesn't know" is the fact that when I said I had no problem with _blowing off steam_ I meant with someone who was both interested and available."

Startled, Scorpio frowned, "Garrus isn't available? I mean, I get that my timing sucked, but…"

Cutting her off, Shepard glared at her as she stalked toward her, the female took a step back before she thought about it; there was something rather fierce about the human and it unnerved her. She forced herself to stand her ground, at attention, as Shepard moved to stand directly in front of her and said, her voice barely raised but full of righteous indignation, "No, Scorpio… Garrus is NOT _available_… he's got a bondmate and she's extremely possessive and likely to toss your turian ass out an airlock."

It was Scorpio's turn to look horrified, "A bondmate? Spirits, I didn't know…" she turned her gaze to Garrus and said, "I'm sorry, I didn't know… no one ever mentioned that you'd been mated… if I'd known…."

Irritated, Shepard reached up and grabbed both of Scorpio's mandibles in one hand, jerking her head down as Scorpio keened in shock and pain. Even Garrus winced as Shepard said, hissing, "Yes, he has a bondmate… and if you intend to make it to the next port you will NOT piss me off. If you even THINK of touching Garrus again, I'll cut off your hand and feed you to Urz… my pet varren. Got it, Immunis?"

Eyes as wide as Turian's could get, her mandibles already aching from the hold the human had on her, Scorpio nodded, "Yes ma'am… permission to go to my bunk, ma'am?"

Letting go of her mandibles, Shepard stepped back, her face once more impassive and gestured to the door, "Permission granted." Scorpio grabbed the rest of her armor and fled.

Once the other turian was gone, Garrus watched his mate closely as she gazed at the cot. Cocking her head to the side, she murmured, almost too quietly to hear, "You know… I'd burn that cot, but it's got some very good memories…." Garrus stepped up, placing his hands on her shoulders and lowering his head to nuzzle her ear as he said,

"Yes it does… and it will again. I'm rather fond of that cot…. You okay, amica?"

Shepard nodded, turning into her mate's embrace and nuzzling close to his chest, "Yeah, I'm fine. I **told** you she had the hot's for you. Next time, maybe you'll listen to me…"

Garrus nodded, "Definitely… but for now, how about we go back to our quarters and see about re-starting this day? By the way, where did you learn the mandibles trick? I know that _I_ haven't shown you that one…."

Shepard grinned, "Well… knowing that they're solidly attached and sensitive, I just figured they'd be a good handle."

Garrus enfolded her in his arms and lay his cheek on the top of her head, chuckling, "They are… our, err… drill sergeants, I think is the word, in boot camp use that move to get the attention of the recruits. Parents use it too… I was just surprised you did it… so was Scorpio, I think."

A frown crossed her face, but went away as Garrus' hand slid up and down her back and his face nuzzled her hair. She ran her hands up his chest, down his arms and then took his hands in hers as she said, "Well, it was better than I thought, then. I just know how you react when I touch yours, and I figured that it was something like grabbing a human by the ear."

Garrus chuckled, his sub-harmonics amused, "The ear, huh? I'll have to remember that…."

Shepard winced, reminded how many times her mother had gripped her ear when she was young,  
>"I'd rather you didn't, actually…."<p>

Together they chuckled, enfolded in each other's arms, the world and the war shut out; just for a little while.

_**CHAPTER BREAK**_

Shala Scorpio rushed into the crew quarters, tossing her armor down on her bunk and refusing to look at anyone. Accalia Chromin looked at Shala, listening to the keening of her sub-harmonics and said, "I take it that it didn't go as planned?"  
>Shala threw herself into her bunk, glancing around to make sure that the room was empty before she said, "Not so you'd notice, no. Apparently, Garrus has a <strong>bondmate<strong> and she must be pretty close to Shepard for her to go off on me like that for an innocent proposal. Geez, talk about over reacting. She actually grabbed me by the _mandibles_… where the hell did a human learn that trick?"

Accalia shook her head, her sub-harmonics producing irritation and exasperation, "Well… I don't know, maybe because she's got a turian mate?"

Scorpio frowned, "She does? Who? How do you know?" Accalia rolled her eyes, a trick she'd picked up when she was a kid on the Citadel and said,

"I swear to the Spirits, Scorpio… for a smart female, sometimes you're about as dumb as varren shit. Have you tried opening your ears and _listening_ to people? Shepard and Garrus are bondmates… if you'd paid attention; you'd have heard people talking about it."

Shala glared at Accalia, hissing, her sub-harmonics growling with anger, irritation and disbelief, "You're full of shit, Accalia! Garrus Vakarian wouldn't take a _HUMAN_ bondmate… it's just… it's not possible. The Vakarian name is one of the most respected and oldest on Palavan… not that I'd expect you to know that, since you were born and raised off planet."

Accalia growled, her own sub-harmonics beginning to reverb with her irritation, "You know, Scorpio, you really are a bitch."

Scorpio leapt to her feet, and Accalia did the same just as their Centurian, Flavius, stepped inside the room and snapped, "ENOUGH. I have had it up to here with your crap, Scorpio. And I expected better from you, Chromin."

Both females backed down, though both wore expressions of irritation and anger. Gazing at the two of them with dispassionate annoyance, Flavius said, "Accalia, go get yourself something to eat." She left the room, and Scorpio looked up at Flavius and waited for him to speak. For long moments, he gazed at her, carefully neutral. Just as Scorpio was beginning to fidget, Flavius said,

"How long have you been in the military, Immunis Scorpio?"

The commanding tone in his sub-harmonics had Shala draw up to attention, "Five years, Centurian, sir"

Flavius nodded, moving to the left around her as she stood at attention, ill at ease, but falling back into the military bearing she knew so well. She kept her eyes straight ahead, waiting for the Centurian to speak again. For a long time, he said nothing, then when he spoke again, it was soft; almost so softly that Shala had to strain to hear his words, though his sub-harmonics were still commanding. "So tell me, Imunnis… after five years, have none of your commanders ever taught you wisdom?"

Shala was silent; she had no idea how to answer that. She knew that if she said yes, she had wisdom, and then she was letting herself into more problems about her actions. But if she said no, she was admitting that her commanders were lax. So she did the only thing she could think of… she kept her mouth shut and said nothing, though her sub-harmonics keened distress and begged forgiveness.

When it became obvious that the Centurian wasn't going to speak, Shala considered her options, finally deciding to simply say, "I'm sorry, Centurian… I was foolish." She felt, more than heard, the Centurian nod, then he turned and said,

"Follow me, Immunis".

Shala fell into step behind her commanding officer, frowning. They walked to the mess where the Centurian gestured to the rest of the turians. When they all fell into line, responding immediately to the command in the Centurian's sub-harmonics, none looked around, but merely walked in formation following the Centurian. They moved into the lounge and the Centurian raised a hand, fist up to stop the group. Leaving them there, for a moment, he moved into the lounge and glanced around. There was no one inside and he glanced to make sure the door was closed before he said, out loud, "AI… are you listening?"

"The crew calls me Edi, Centurian Gracchus…."

Flavius nodded, and then said, "Edi, apologies for mis-speaking. I would like permission to use this room for a two hour period without interruption in order to correct my unit… would that be possible?"

"I will check with the Commander, please hold a moment…."

_**CHAPTER BREAK**_

"Commander?"

Shepard glanced up from her place at the CIC and responded, "Yes Edi?"

"Centurian Gracchus has requested the use of the starboard lounge without interruption for a two hour period… he wishes to work with his unit undisturbed. I believe he will be punishing Immunis Scorpio for her actions."

Shepard frowned, "Connect me with the Centurian, please…."

A moment later, Flavius voice came over the com, somewhat hesitant; his sub-harmonics seemed restrained and upset. "Commander… I was hoping to have use of this room for a few hours… I believe that my unit would benefit from some work in teamwork… and after Immunis Scorpio's abominable actions this morning, I think that some work is in order."

As Shepard considered, she heard the elevator door opened and felt, rather than saw, her mate's presence. Garrus moved to lay a hand on her shoulders and she glanced up at him, eyebrows raised as he said, "Let him, amica… he's taking a bad situation and trying to make something good out of it… this is the way that our Centurian's teach."

A lot of thoughts went through her head, but she gazed into Garrus' serious eyes and shrugged, "Ok Flavius… you have the room for three hours… will that be sufficient?"

His sub-harmonics sounded relieved, but his voice gave nothing away as he said, "Thank you Commander… that will be fine. Gracchus out."

As the com cut out, Shepard looked up into Garrus face and waited, until he said, "In the turian culture, when one person in a unit does something, the entire unit has to take responsibility."

Shepard frowned, "That doesn't seem fair… I didn't see the rest of the unit naked in your cot."

Garrus would have blushed if it had been possible; instead, he glanced around, then took her arm and led her to the small quarters that Miranda had created for herself. As the doors closed, he said, "No, they weren't… but in turian culture, the individuals are not as important as the unit, the group, the legion. When one acts irresponsibly or in a manner not appropriate, then the entire unit is expected to step in and bring them to their senses. If they don't, then the unit is held responsible and punished… with the full knowledge that the individual is the one who brought it on them."

Moving closer to Garrus, Shepard rested her forehead against his chest, her voice barely more than a murmur, "I want to kick her ass myself…."

Garrus reached up to stroke her hair, lowering his face to nuzzle her as he said, "And this won't prevent that if you really want to. If you really want to fight her, though I hope you don't, because even though I know you'll win, I don't want you hurt, this punishment won't prevent you from challenging her for what she did. It will just reinforce the idea that the group is more important than the individual; and what one turian does has ramifications for the group. It promotes unit cohesion."

Shepard sighed, she understood the issue, but something that Garrus had said bothered her. "You don't want me to fight for you?"

Garrus cocked his head, "I don't want you hurt… but what else is going on in that head of yours?"

Sighing, because she hated it when she felt like this; vulnerable wasn't something she was familiar with. But honesty, that certainly was something she was familiar with. So taking a deep breath, she said, huskily, "Don't you want me to make it clear that we're together? I don't know, I guess I feel like you want to hide _us_ from the turians…."

Shaking his head, his mandibles clicking as his sub-harmonics keened with resignation. He knew that she hated feeling open, vulnerable. Reaching down, he caught her chin between his thumb and finger and raised her face so he could look into her eyes, "Shepard… Lia. You KNOW that I love you. You are my heart and soul, my bondmate. I don't care if the entire world knows; as a matter of fact, I _want_ the entire world to know. And if you march into that room and announce to the entire turian unit that we're bondmates, then go for it.

"I'll go in with you and stand proudly while my mate claims me. I love you, I can't tell you how much I love you, and I'm not always the best when it comes to voicing my feelings; I'm much better at showing you than telling you. Don't you dare even think that I'm ashamed or reticent to tell everyone that we're bondmates. Here is the bottom line, amica… you want to fight for me, to put her in her place, I won't stop you. But I don't want you hurt… and while I have absolutely no doubt you'll beat her, because I've sparred with you and I know how damn good you are, but you will end up with some damage. You being hurt is never something that I'm comfortable with."

Leaning into him, Shepard shook her head, but his next words caused her to think strongly about her own attitudes. "Remember when you asked me to not beat the shit out of Kaiden? Because there was no need, my mark is on you and if he's foolish enough to think that you can be pulled from me, then he'll suffer in the long run. The same thing applies here. It should go without saying, but I know how your brain works, so I'll simply tell you this, straight up. I have NO interest in Scorpion. You are my bondmate, my love and my life… I do not miss turian females; you give me far more than any turian could possibly give me. You don't have to claim me, because I already wear your mark proudly on my soul, my heart and my body…."

Shepard felt herself choke up, and leaned back to look up at her mate, raising a hand to rest against the scarred side of his face as she gazed into his eyes. She made no attempt to hide the feelings that shone from her eyes and he didn't either. After a long moment, she said, her voice husky with unshed tears and feelings, "I get it, Garrus… I don't have to prove anything, because you've marked me too… in every way. We belong to each other, we always will… and fighting Scorpio, while it would make me feel better, won't do anything except give her a chance to work her frustrations out on me. She wants what I have… but she can't have it. That's pretty much revenge enough."

Garrus widened his mandibles, but before he could answer her, Joker's voice came over the com, "Hey Commander… we just landed a hell of a catch. Genetically perfect tits and ass…."

Behind Joker's voice they clearly heard Miranda's voice, mock irritation barely covering her amusement, "Watch it, Joker… I can still break your leg… it won't stop you from flying, but it would certainly feel good… for me."

Shaking her head, Shepard gave Garrus' face one more caress, then turned and started toward the cockpit, saying, "We'll continue this later, honey… want to go meet Miranda with me?"

Garrus nodded, sliding his hand over her head, stroking her hair and resting his forehead against hers, closing his eyes. She sighed again, closing her eyes and just absorbing the feeling of her mate's forehead against hers, his scent, the comfort and happiness in his sub-harmonics, the closeness and the knowledge that she could touch him whenever she wanted; because he was hers as she was his. She bit her lower lip, then stepped away, smiling, "Come on, big guy… let's go meet our prodigal genetically perfect woman…."

_**Chapter Break**_

Miranda leaned against the galaxy map, her arms crossed over her substantial chest, a small smirk on her face as she watched Shepard walk toward her. When Shepard and Garrus got close enough, Miranda said,

"So… would you be interested in ex-Cerberus scientists? Because I've managed to garner quite a few of them… I'll bet their work will greatly benefit the Crucible project."

Shepard grinned and walked up to Miranda, "Sounds great… but call me suspicious, I think they're more…."

Miranda's smiled faded, but the amusement stayed in her voice as she said, "You're right… you've heard of Sanctuary?"

Shepard frowned, "The place that's offering refugees a place to stay until the threat is over?"

Miranda nodded, then stood up straight, hands at her side as she said, "That's it. Well, I think it's a lot more than that, Shepard… I think it's a Cerberus lab. People go in, but they're never heard from again… I've looked into it quite a bit, but people just stop communicating."

Shepard frowned and Garrus said, mildly, "They could just not be able to get word out… maybe there are just too many of them."

Miranda nodded, "True… but one thing tells me it's something different…."

Watching Miranda's face, Shepard said, "What is it, Miranda?"

Her eyes were calm and detached, Miranda said, "Oriana went there and I haven't heard from her… even her location chip has gone silent."

Shepard frowned, "You put a chip in your sister? Does she know?"

Giving Shepard an exasperated face, Miranda said, "No, she doesn't… but the chip just lets me know where she is… in case of emergencies. Shepard… there is one more thing…." Miranda took a deep breath and said, softly "Sanctuary is run by my father."


	53. Scene 49

**This chapter is a little break from the fight… odd pieces that fill in spaces between massive battles because even heroes need a break.**

_**BEGIN**_

Laying in his nest with his mate, Garrus settled down for a rest, despite the situations around them, all the negative shit around the galaxy, tonight he felt content. His mate was laid naked beside him, he was tired from an honest day's work and for now, at least, they were safe. Idly he reached over to touch his mate and was surprised to find her stiff and definitely not relaxed beside him. Rolling to his side, he adjusted his feet on the "perches" and arranged his leg spurs as he gazed over at her and asked "Amica? Are you okay? What's wrong?" For a few minutes, she didn't respond to him, which caused his worry to spike. Then he felt her turn, rolling to face him, their faces inches from each other as she said,

"Garrus… are you sure you're ok with me? I mean, I know that I don't have the things that make a turian woman beautiful… and I can't do the things for you that a turian can do… I don't want you to regret _us_."

Shepard was such a powerhouse of a human, so firm, uncompromising in her beliefs that sometimes Garrus forgot that she was just a woman, with fears and insecurities like everyone else. Garrus raised a hand to stroke down her face as he said softly, "Lia… are you asking this because of the crap with Scorpio?"

Sighing, Shepard replied, "No… it's not that. It's just looking at her and the other female… I guess it brings home the things I can't give you." She raised her hand to caress the scarred portion of his face, caressing his mandible before coming to rest on his chest. Garrus leaned forward to bump his forehead against hers affectionately, then slide an arm around her shoulders, drawing her close to him and running his fingers through her hair, he said,

"Yeah, there are things we can't give each other… I can't give you soft flesh to bury into; you don't have plates to rub against… I have no lips, you have no mandibles. But Lia, it's not about what we _**don't**_ have, amica… it's what we _**do have**_." She wasn't looking at him; his superior vision could have told him that even if he didn't know her and her body language. Instead, she had her face pressed into his chest, her hand idly stroking up and down his keel. But she was listening, and that's really all he could hope for with his mate. "We have love, amica… I love you and you love me… we have everything; we have something that most people, turian or human, never get. There are things you do to me that no turian could ever do… I don't know how to convince you that I love you; that you're _more_ than enough for me… all I can do is spend the rest of our lives proving it to you."

A few moments of silence, then in a soft voice Shepard said, "But I can't give you children…" Garrus' hand, which had been stroking up and down her back stilled, then resumed it's slow progress as he said, his voice even, knowing this was the gist of the issue,

"And I can't give them to you… at least not biologically. BUT, if we decide that we _WANT_ kids, well… I'm sure there would be hundreds of kids of every species who need parents. Being a parent isn't about biology, amica… it's about love. And we've got that in diamonds…."

It took Shepard a second to understand what he'd meant and it made her smile as she said, "Spades… but I get it, and you're right. I love you, Garrus… and come what may; I'm in it for the duration. And you're right that we're the lucky ones… we found what so many people are looking for."

Rubbing his face against the top of her head, Garrus held his mate, his "purr" reverberating around her like an audible blanket. After a few minutes, he felt her begin to relax into him, and widened his mandibles gently stroking her. He knew her in ways that no one else did and that was something he took much pride in. To everyone else, she was eminently powerful, she was strong and sure, she was a force of nature. But he saw the softer side of her, the human side; the insecurity, the doubt, the fear. As he held his mate close, reveling in the joy that being able to see inside the hero gave him, he drifted to sleep.

_**CHAPTER BREAK**_

Shepard had, **HAD IT**. She walked down the hallway, Miranda on one side of her, Liara on the other, both pushing her to do what they wanted. Miranda wanted them to go into Sanctuary with guns blazing and Liara basically wanted the same for Thessia. For the last four hours, Shepard had listened to them, together and separate, telling her why she _had to do their mission __**now**_. At this point, she was half tempted to just blow them both out an airlock and tell everyone to kiss her ass. To make it worse, whatever the Centurion had done had created a turian unit that immediately flashed their eyes to her when she entered the room and stayed with her until she left the room.

"ENOUGH!"

Miranda and Liara both froze, mid-sentence, staring at her. She took a deep breath, gathering her calm and saying, "I will do what we need to do… but on my terms. Now both of you… _leave me the hell alone_!"

Shepard headed for the elevator and Miranda asked in a hesitant voice, "Where are you going, Shepard?"

"To speak with Javik. Alone." The last site before the elevator door closed was Miranda and Liara wearing identical expressions of shock and irritation. Shepard smiled, she felt for the first time, relief in the day. Riding down to the engineering section, Shepard headed over toward the room the last living Prothean had taken over. In all honesty, she'd had no desire to talk to the enigmatic alien. There was something… _odd_ about Javik and she couldn't put her finger on why. Maybe it was the prothean's attitude… maybe it was the way he seemed to feel that ever one should follow his rules. But she just felt like taking a hot shower whenever she spoke to him. Yet here she was, heading to the Prothean's quarters… of her own free will. It said a lot about her "friends" that she sought out someone she was uncomfortable with in order to avoid those she normally enjoyed speaking too.

The elevator stopped and Shepard exited, heading toward Javik's quarters, her feet dragging. She could, of course, head the other direction and see Zaeed; no one would be the wiser. But her innate sense of honesty forbade that action. So she trudged into the quarters and keyed the door, surprised when steam or smoke rose up around her. As she walked in, the fog, for lack of a better word, swirled around her and made her hesitate. The Prothean was in the back of the room, gazing into a table of shorts that Shepard saw contained a liquid. In order to put off the interaction, she walked over to a chip of rock suspended on a table. She recognized the feeling she got from the chip; it was something prothean. As though sensing her curiosity, Javik made his way over to her, close but not touching her as he said,

"It is a memory chip. My kind used it to record our thoughts… feelings… everything we are in them." Curious, Shepard reached out a hand and touched the air around the chip asking,

"Is this your memories?" The strange alien shrugged, still observing her from his multiple eyes,

"In part. Each chip can contain the memories of many of my brothers and sisters… my _friends_."

Caught by the emotion of that final word, Shepard glanced at Javik and said, "You say friend like it's a curse."

Javik examined her for a long moment, and then nodded briskly as if making a decision. "Let me tell you of my _friends_, Commander Shepard. In my cycle, we were affiliated with units… we fought together, worked together, procreated and took time off together. We were as close as brothers, closer than brothers in some respects because we chose to be brothers. I have seen how you interact with your crew… while you maintain your position of command, you feel close to your crew… responsible, but connected."

Shepard listened, there seemed to be nothing to say, Javik had hit the nail on the head, so she waited and listened to what he was saying. "One day, on a routine mission, we ran into far more Reaper activity than we were expecting. We fought valiantly battling with everything we had, but we were too close. One by one, my friends… my brothers turned on each other… on me. I would have had to kill them and instead I fled."

Shepard shivered; his heavily accented voice was emotionally null, totally blank. "So you left them?"

Javik gazed at her, his eyes predatory and vaguely threatening as he said, "Yes… I left them and the Reapers did as they have done to your cycle… created abominations. But in my cycle, they were recognizable… and they recognized me. It is my greatest horror… to face my men, my friends and understand that they were no longer the beings that I knew." Shepard waited for him to continue, but he said nothing more, simply stood and watched her. To fill the silence, she gestured to the shard and said,

"Do you use this?"

"Would you willingly face the memory of your greatest horror, Commander? Would you touch your nightmares and invite them into your waking life?"

Shepard thought of some of her nightmares, and in spite of herself she shivered, then shook her head, "No… though facing the reality is different, I do that every day."

Javik turned from her, running his hands through the liquid in the table, his voice now cool, "You face it because you must… you are this cycle's only hope, and thus you will face your nightmares made real. I have vowed to help you do what my cycle could not do."

Shepard turned away from Javik, her voice as empty as his now, "Defeat the Reapers."

"Yes… and once that is accomplished, my time will be done."

There didn't seem much else to say, so Shepard left the room without a backward glance or goodbye.

_**CHAPTER BREAK**_

"Right, Shepard…."

Shepard threw herself to the ground, and did a combat roll to the left, behind a crate. She HATED the damn Cerberus soldiers. Raising her Mattock, she fired again, taking out the turret as well as the soldier putting it up. One of the Cerberus assholes was turning toward her and she ducked behind cover as Garrus took his shot, and the soldier fell. To her left, beyond Garrus, Liara was behind cover, throwing singularities out. On her right, Zaeed lay, taking out Cerberus soldiers and beyond him, Samara used her biotics to take slam other soldiers. Between the five of them, they'd made a huge dent in the Cerberus forces.

"Incoming shuttle…."

Shepard cursed, more freaking backups for them. To her surprise, Zaeed muttered, "Ga'dam bastards…" and stood up; using a weapon Shepard hadn't seen before to send a rocket at the shuttle, effectively knocking it out of the sky. Eyes wide, Shepard glanced at the old merc, who grinned at her, "Rocket launcher, love."

Shepard made a face, giving him puppy dog eyes, "I want one…."

Zaeed put the launcher away, and pulled out his assault rifle, grinning at her, "I'll see what I can do…."

Samara took the last pocket of the resistance, and the five of them stood, carefully clearing the area as they moved toward the old building that held the intelligence that they were after.

"Hey, Shepard!"

Shepard glanced over at the turian who was standing, smirking at her. Knowing that he was going to make a smart ass remark, she grinned and said, "Yes, Garrus?"

"You know… you could take me somewhere nice for a change… everywhere you take me, I end up having to shoot something."

Laughing, Shepard used her Omni Tool to crack the door and said, "You love it and you know it, Garrus… if I didn't take you places you could shoot something, you'd go nuts and start shooting the Normandy…. Besides, I got you the nifty new mods for your rifle… if you don't want to use them, I can leave you to guard the shuttle…."

Knowing his mate was joking, Garrus widened his mandibles, "Right… you wouldn't know what to do without me on your six, Shepard… I bring style to the group!"

Grinning, Zaeed walked past them, smacking Garrus on the shoulder as he said, "Seems to me, birdman, you bring a lot of bull shit, not so much style."

Grinning in his turian way, Garrus joked, "You're just jealous, Zaeed… because all the ladies drool over me… but if you're nice, I'll toss them your way."

Chuckling, Zaeed said, "Right… the problem is, women love scars and mine are just better than yours…."

Shepard opened the door and gestured for Garrus and Liara to go right and Zaeed and Samara to go left as she said, "It's okay, boys… you're both pretty… now get in there…."

_**CHAPTER BREAK**_

Shepard rolled her shoulder before shooting a grin at her mate across from her in the shuttle. Anytime they could kick Cerberus' ass AND gather Intel to use against the Reapers, it was a good day. This hadn't been just a game; however… Shepard had confirmed what Miranda had thought. Cerberus, and her father, had their fingers in too many pies by half.

Once they returned to the Normandy, they'd be heading to the Citadel… the Asari councilor wanted a word with her and she was relatively convinced that was going to give her something important. But for now, she was hot, sweaty, high on adrenaline from the fight and more than ready to go back to the ship and spend some time with her mate.

The last week or so had been relatively calm… but Shepard had a bad feeling that their break was about to be over.


End file.
